Fractures
by Nexmelody
Summary: movieverse2007, A single protoform brings more questions than answers and not everyone will want to know the answers.
1. Descent

Disclaimer : I don't own transformers, Hasbro and whoever else dose, the ideas and plots are mine so there we go

I want to say thanks to my two Beta's - anymore errors in this fic will be my fault

**Fractures **

**Chapter 1 - The Descent**

Optimus Prime tracked the meteors decent. It was off the co-ordinates  
that had been embedded in his message but maybe, just maybe, it was another Autobot.  
Ironhide had come to stand behind him, shaking his head at the flare in the sky.

"I don't like it, Prime." Optimus turned to look at him.

"It's too convenient."

"I know old friend, but if it is an Autobot, the Decepticons will be over it in moments."

"And if it's a Decepticon?" there was silence, hope had its place, doubts had to be held at bay.

Ratchet had moved in front of Optimus, calculating the trajectories.

"It should land in approximately 30minuets, 22 miles southwest of here." Ratchet said optics following the bright streak  
"That would bring it into the outskirts of town, in the junkyard." Bumblebee commented  
Optimus checked the co-ordinates again. "It's time to leave. Autobots, roll out.

Bumblebee shifted uneasily like Ironhide, he had a bad feeling about this. Something about this transformer made him nervous; it bore down into his spark and made him shudder.  
The protoform slammed into the junkyard near sundown, melting some of the cars already destined for the crusher into slag. Ratchet was first to arrive. He edged near it, like Optimus he was wary, but was convinced the newcomer was an Autobot even as it transformed with a hiss, its weaponry the first to emerge fully formed.

"Identify yourselves." it snarled, crouching to the ground as blue optics focused on Optimus Prime.  
"I am Optimus Prime," the protoform cocked its head and stood slowly, one of its cannons folded away and it moved forward, wary of the other Autobots.

"What is your designation?" The protoform stopped in front of Optimus and looked up, being only 14ft it craned slightly. It's optics flickered as it scanned its memory banks.

"I have none." Bumblebee made a strange noise, shifting in what seemed to be somewhere between shock and pity.

"Come with us, you need to find an alternate form. Are you functional?" The protoform made an affirmative noise and followed Optimus, unsure of what to do.

It was highly defensive, jumping quickly onto a pile of rubble when Bumblebee bumped it by accident.  
"Why don't you have a name?" Bumblebee asked. It shrugged and backed up a little further, while Ironhide glared at it suspiciously, trying to find it's Autobot insignia.

All hell broke loose as Decepticons screamed down the road, Barricade amongst them. The protoform immediately folded out its cannons and began charging, having to duck as the wall behind it was reduced to rubble by a Decepticon shot.

"YOU!" it screamed as it saw Barricade transform. Optics narrowing, it charged and slammed feet first into Barricade, who barely shifted.

Undaunted, it fired at the Decepticon, flinging itself forward again as Barricade dodged.  
Barricade threw the attacker over his shoulder and it lay sprawled on the ground, momentarily dazed.

"So it still lives," he growled, "but I'm afraid it's your turn to die now."

As Barricade swung his fist down as the protoform rolled to the side and  
shakily moved into a crouch.  
"Still wanted th..." it said, starting to move forward again but cut off as a stray  
blast sent it smashing through a wooden shed.  
"You never earned it."  
"I never wanted it, I would have cut his spark cables given the chance."  
It had gotten up, with a thin curved blade replacing its hand.

The blade was brought it down in a sweeping motion aimed to sever Barricade's arm off, but missed by inches. Barricade picked it up by the throat a malicious grin on his face as he squeezed tighter

"Little Starsong, still as weak as ever," he crooned.

Mean while the battle between Autobot and Decepticon was drawing to a close, with the Decepticons sustaining heavy damage as the Autobots fought to get their newest member before it ended up as scrap metal. Ironhide burst through, his cannons sending Barricade flying and causing heavy damage to his side and hopefully his spark casing. Ironhide kept the space around them cleared as Barricade sounded the retreat. The Decepticons fled, dragging their injured with them.

Optimus Prime stood in front of the new arrival.  
"So you are Starsong."

Its face twisted into a sneer, as it looked about trying as if to find something. It shuddered and looked at its feet.  
"I never want to be called that again."  
"Well we have to have a name for you."

The transformer paused.  
"Anything but Starsong." it muttered, sounding almost hopeful.

"How about Reckless?" Ironhide suggested a slight twinge in his voice that suggested he was joking.

"Maybe Haphazard?" Bumblebee asked seriously. The protoform wasn't paying attention to the more internal conversation Optimus was having with his fellow Autobots.

"For now it will be Haphazard," Optimus said as it scowled "unless you have a suitable name in mind." It mumbled something along the lines of "always getting the slag end of things."

"The road is to the west; see if you can find a vehicle that you like." Ratchet said as he placed a hand on its shoulder and turned it in the right direction.

Haphazard blinked, surprised at the touch, and shrugged off his hand as it moved past them, climbing up a pile of trash and sliding down the other side. Ironhide followed and watched as it scanned a vehicle transporter that was passing down the otherwise deserted road.  
A few moments later an engine revved, and they moved to see a Mazda mx5 coupe before it transformed back into Haphazard. It shifted slightly as Ratchet ran a scan over it checking for damage.

He caught its eye with a question in his optics, but Haphazard looked down at its feet doing its best to ignore Ratchet's gaze.

"No serious damage has been sustained; I will make the minor repairs at base." Ratchet stated.

Optimus nodded his agreement and they headed back on their way to base.

Haphazard trailed Ratchet closely as Ironhide brought up the rear of the column.

Ironhide was using his sensors, trying to find anything out of the ordinary, but every scan brought up negative faction and identification results, It was as if this one had never been created.

As they pulled around a slope below the look out, Optimus continued up to the overhang and the hillside faded out to reveal a wide door easily tall enough for him to fit through as he transformed.

Once inside Ratchet took Haphazard by the arm and steered it to the medical bay giving a pointed look to Ironhide who went to follow.

"On the table please." Haphazard stood stark still watching the medic gather tools. "If you won't lay down at least sit on it." It moved onto the table, optics never leaving Ratchet's hands before he repaired minor damage to a neck joint and several stressed cables.

"Are you going to inform the other Autobots?"

"What do you mean?"

Ratchet let out a chuckle.

"That you're a femme." Haphazard made a gulping sound shifting as he put his tools away. He saw that her hands were curled in her lap as her optics flickered once.

"Only if you agree to help me with something first."He looked at her quizzically.

"I can only try." was his murmured reply.

Slowly she pulled apart her chest plates, wincing with the movement to revel the Decepticon symbol branded deep into her spark casing.

**Well okay fell free to leave comments, flames and what ever else you can think of all will be useful in some way.**


	2. Impact

**Disclaimer : I don't own transformers, Hasbro and whoever else dose, the ideas and plots are mine so there we go **

I want to say thanks to my two Beta's - anymore errors in this fic will be my fault - repedative i know

**Chapter 2 is up Thanks for all the Reviews on it they are much appreciated **

**Fractures **

**Chapter 2 - Impact **

Ratchet paced in front of Haphazard, thinking. What the slag was he meant to do; that symbol was branded so deeply into her spark casing he doubted it could be filled in or ground out without killing her and he could tell it wasn't recent either.

"You're going to need to tell me how this happened." She jumped off the table.

"Why? I'm trying to get rid of it,"she screeched, panic evident in her voice. "I don't want everyone else knowing about it." She stood, quaking hard enough that small components were rattling.

"This would not leave my vocal unit unless you wished it." She held her head walking in small circles.

"No, no, no, no it hurts so, I don't know what to do, I don't even have a purpose."

"Why were you branded?" She stopped groaning.

"He hates me, I don't know, Megatron said I was his and would be till I'm deactivated. But I'm not, I won't be controlled." She continued to rant for an hour before Ratchet finally made her stop, by which time she'd already set several claw marks in a bench and dented the top.

"You need to recharge," he sighed, "and you need to be calm. I would rather you do not cause yourself damage." She nodded, still shaking, although the rattling had stopped.

"Where do I stay?" she asked, half heartedly looking towards the door as her claws flexed and retracted.

"Stay in the medical bay for now. I'll keep watch over you." She nodded gratefully and lay on the table. She moved fitfully, trying to feel comfortable, for the next 2 breems Ratchet waited for her to fall into recharge before going into his office and keeping an eye on her through the monitors, and started running deep system scans.

Partway through her recharge, she moved off the berth to wedge herself between a bench and a wall, the cannon resting on her knee; uncharged but ready none the less.

5 cycles later, as she shimmied out from the tight space and stretched her joints, Ratchet came out of his work room; he would have preferred to have a good recharge but her mental state worried him.

"You may wish to connect to the world wide web, to master human speech and behaviours." She sat down again on the bench and began processing the information from the internet. She would pause on occasion to question him and go back to the net, optics dull as she did so.

A resonating knock sounded on the locked doors. Ratchet opened them to Optimus who looked over at Haphazard quickly.

"Were the repairs more troublesome that you believed?" he asked.

"Haphazard went into recharge while I was making the repairs." Optimus nodded, he could see her dull optics, as she stood, slowly blinking at Optimus. Not expecting him to be there, she gave a short bow avoiding any optical contact.

"Ironhide wants to begin your weapons training." She nodded and followed him down into the lower part of the base.

The doors were open and Ironhide watched her movements, trying to decide on the best style of training. Optimus led Haphazard in and left;

he would watch from the monitors in his office to see the Autobot's potential.

"First we're gonna see what your targeting is like." He made her stand on the mark. "You can't leave the circle or else you fail; understood.?" She nodded, both cannons out and ready to attack.

"The targets will be all shapes and sizes, and they will come at you from all angles. You have to get rid of them ASAP,You'll be hit with low level radiation tags and we'll see how much damage you'd have taken after the rounds finish." Haphazard discovered Ironhide wasn't kidding when he said they'd come from all angles. After 10 minuets Ironhide stopped the attacks and told her to stand still as he ran the scan.

"That has to be some of the worst targeting I've seen in along time," Haphazard would have been long dead if it was full on fight. massive trauma to her chest armour, sides and shoulders. "How did you ever survive on Cybertron?"Haphazard merely shrugged.

"Just did." Ironhide was still shaking his head.

"Did you even use your targeting systems?"

"I don't have any." He didn't reply after that, instead they tested weapons strength and armour. After the tests he called in Ratchet.

"I need to speak to Optimus, can you give a tour?" Ratchet shrugged, less than enthusiastic at the prospect but complied. He showed her around the lower base first; showing rec rooms, fitted with a tv large even by Autobot standards and a couch sized for the Autobots, as well as desks with human sized computers and chairs.

Ratchet noticed how distracted she was.

"If anyone is to help you, you need to speak up." She jumped slightly.

"I finally found somewhere I might fit in, but only one person doesn't believed I'm a Decepticon."

"Optimus and Ironhide don't believe you're a Decepticon."

"If you say so." They had headed up towards the communications room when a bellow echoed down the hall.

"But Optimus he is useless."

"I've told you Ironhide." It was Haphazard who flinched and made a strangled sound in her vocal processor.

"He has no targeting systems, its armours is weak at best and those cannons will barely dent a Decepticon, what more proff do ya need" Ironhide bellowed out again Ratchet looked livid as he strode off purposely round the corner to sort out Ironhide.

Haphazard thought '_Wonderful not only are they convinced I am a Decepticon but I'm a weak one at that.' _

She headed in the opposite direction determined to prove Ironhide wrong. Bumblebee was entering base when he heard the argument.

What concerned him more was the dull sheen in Haphazard's optics as she headed into the lower part of the base.

In the training room she was reprogramming the drone to have the same impact as Ironhide. The shots would have live ammunition, and it wouldn't stop after 10 minuets.

"I'll prove I'm not weak," she said, determinedly. "I'll prove I can beat Decepticons."

Ratchet pushed the door open to Optimus Prime's office.

"Ironhide you're beginning to sound like a Decepticon," Ratchet snarled, Ironhide looked at his long-time friend and medic, annoyed. "Do you even have any idea of how old she is?"

"Ratchet did you just say 'she'?" Optimus looked mildly surprised at the idea.

"Yes, she."

Ironhide schooled his features for a neutral expression. This had little effect in detouring the snarling medic.

"I didn't know that."

"Haphazard has managed to convince herself that you believe she's a Decepticon!" Ratchet growled.

"But she should have told us," Ironhide grumbled. "you don't even get a faction when ya scann her."

"It would have been helpful." Optimus said. "How old is she Ratchet?"

"From what I can determine, not much older than 270 Vorns." Ironhide gulped. She was hardly past being a sparkling, and was close to the equivalent of a human teenager,

"Are you certain Ratchet?"

"Yes, she hasn't had a final upgrade yet." An alarm sounded, and the monitors showed it came from the training room, just as the strained voice of Bumblebee came across the speakers along with gunfire.

"I could use some help here, 'Hazard's reprogrammed the training unit!"

They came to the training room at a full run, weapons out and ready to battle the drone.

It was focused solely on Haphazard. She ducked out the way of its blasts as Bumblebee tried to distract it, Ironhide shot it twice before Optimus tackled it, keeping it pressed to the ground.

Ratchet grumbled as he sought to shut it down, his fingers flying over the keys. As he began to reprogram it, it fired off a blast catching her in the chest. She doubled over as a few tiny sparks jumped across her frame; Optimus growled and ripped a cable out of the drone's neck, making it sputter and collapse.

Ratchet ignored the console and scanned her, making her sit back looking at the damage to her chest.

"You are one of the silliest Autobots I've come across." he muttered, surveying the damage. The sparks were coming from a pair of snapped cables, the outer plates had small chips and a large dent from the impact, and the smaller plates that were normally visible lower down had slid up, interlocking to form a heavy shield around her spark.

Ironhide stood over her, looking down at the smaller Autobot.

"You need to stop being so reckless," crouching down as his hydraulics complained at the position. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

She winced as Ratchet finished on the wires and pulled her upright.

"No, just living up to my name." Bumblebee shook his head as she was dragged off the medbay.

"Next time, we think of a name that doesn't involve a reckless nature." Optimus commented.

"Even if it's fitting?" Bumblebee piped up, earning a huff from Ironhide.

**Hope you enjoyed**


	3. Extent

**Ha well it seems that people are enjoying this so I'll continue wrighting.**

**Again I praise my beta VAwitch for her help **

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Transformer bar for Haphazard. Hasbro own them.**

* * *

**Fractures**

**Chapter 3 - Extent**

Optimus watched Haphazard as she paced her room, she had settled herself twice and both times she had jumped a half mile at the tiniest of noises. She was extremely jittery – once, the bed groaned and she impaled it with her sword, then spent the next breem dislodging it.

She muttered in Cybertronian about any subject that fluttered by her processors, by the end of the night her desk top was engraved with the swirling patterns of the Allspark.

Ratchet entered his office in the earlier morning looking less than pleased.

"I've finished going over the data from her deep system scans. Nothing is life threatening but she's crudely repaired and this will cause system malfunctions if left unattended."

"Start from the worst."

"The spark casing had been branded so deeply there is no chance of repair."

Optimus paused; her casing had been branded? That was twisted; he doubted even his brother would do such a thing but who could tell anymore? With a sigh he nodded for Ratchet to continue.

"Targeting systems have been removed, causing damage to her memory banks and emotional controls."

"Is she liable to be a threat to the humans?"

"Until I can get a proper field analysis on her I can only assume she would defend herself." He sighed. "She is liable to be rather impulsive as she displayed in the training room."

"She does have some control over her emotions," Optimus commented. "But to what extent?"

"I'm unsure - her attention span is remarkably short, a side effect of the damage." Optimus nodded and Ratchet went on.

"There is botched wiring through her whole system."

Optimus sighed. She was going to be harder to deal with than he initially thought. He looked at the camera and found her watching back, her brow ridge furrowed. She had pushed over the table and seemed to be trying to disconnect the camera.

"Slagging Pit-addled Perverts!" she yelled at the camera. Both Ratchet and Optimus looked amused; he had yet to inform her that it was a former observation room and Optimus found it appropriate to keep her observed after her blind reprogramming of the drone. The camera fizzled out and Optimus began to worry what she might be doing.

"While her vocal processors will stay at its current depth there is still the matter of the stasis lock switch." Optimus looked at him, surprised.

"A stasis lock switch, is that even possible? It was my understanding that it is either from injury or the specialist medical berths."

"Apparently it's been developed. Someone wanted to be able to stop her quickly without causing damage."

* * *

The pair headed towards the rec room, planning to stop at her room and drag her down to make her relax. What they found when they entered her room was her sitting on the table with the camera and several spare wires removed from the wall. The panels had been ripped back and even shredded in places. As she sat on the desk and tinkered with it, Optimus was about to interrupt when she looked up and jumped, toppling of the desk and landing sprawled on recharge pallet. 

"What is it with mechs entering without permission." she muttered to herself as she jumped off the bed.

"My apologies. You were so intent on tinkering with the camera." She shrugged and gathered the pieces up.

"Haven't got much else to do," she muttered, storing them in the draw of the desk.

Optimus eye ridge had risen slightly.

"You are more than welcome to use the training and recreation rooms." She looked surprised. "On the understanding that you don't reprogram anything."

She let out a whooping noise and a happy chirp before taking off like a shot towards the recreation room, skidding round the corner and colliding with Ironhide. She landed on her aft looking up at the bigger mech's optics. Stunned, he picked her easily off the hallway floor and set her back on her feet.

"Careful, you might end up takin' Bumblebee out." The femme nodded and took off again, darting under his arms.

Ironhide stepped forward to find the way blocked by Optimus and Ratchet.

"What'd ya say to make the femme so happy?"

"I merely stated that use of training and rec rooms is available to all."

Turning and keeping pace with his two comrades, they got into the room to find her near the corner pressed to the wall, watching an engrossed Bumblebee playing human video games. She shifted from foot to foot watching but not moving forward, hands locked to her side.

Ratchet looked over perplexed and stood beside her, nudging her forward.

"Join him." She shook her head vigorously.

"I'll watch for a bit." Ratchet stopped her from going back to the wall again.

"As the human state, he isn't going to bite." She stayed where she was till Ratchet dragged her over. Bumblebee noticed the light commotion now and turned to look at her, optics blinking. He tossed her a controller and started a two player session; she looked at it confused. She sat on the floor with her back to the sofa Bumblebee was on as, he began to explain how each of the controls worked. The two were soon engrossed in the game.

Optimus opened a line to Ratchet and Ironhide.

"At least she's interacting."

"She is still tense," Ironhide commented.

"She has only ever know Decepticons. I'm surprised she's come so far in such a short time," Ratchet stated.

"All we have to do is make sure she doesn't relapse."

"Any idea's why Megatron kept her?"

"The only remote possibility is that he wanted her for breeding."

"After he gave the order to offline all sparklings and Femmes, it doesn't fit," Ironhide said.

"It is the most logical conclusion. Have you found any clue as to who her creator is Ratchet?"

The medical officer grunted. "Whoever created her wanted to make sure it wasn't known and she doesn't have the mark of being Allspark born."

They were drawn out of their conversation by Bumblebee yelling that she cheated and he tackled her. They ended up in a wrestling match on the floor as the other Autobots were trying their best not to laugh but gave up. It ended with Haphazard being sat on by a smug Bumblebee.

"Move would ya." Bumblebee ignored her and she smirked quite suddenly. Pulling out a small tool of some from the back of her hand, she did something to a large cable in his leg. He didn't seem to notice till he stood and his leg wouldn't move. She snickered.

Ratchet came over and looked at the wire; she had created an energy ring around it .

"That's an interesting tool you have there," Ratchet said as he caused the ring to disintegrate with one of his own tools. She jumped up, nodding vigurosly "Inhibits the flow of energy to cause the object to seize while causing minimal damage." She looked over to the door where Ironhide had moved to block it, almost expecting her to bolt as she was questioned.

"How long have you had this particular tool?" She scanned her memory.

"A long time; I nicked it off Hook before my first upgrade." Ironhide smirked slightly; he'd heard that Hook was as bad as Ratchet when his tools went missing.

"How often do you use this?" Optimus questioned as she shrugged.

"Um… I've use it 5 times. "

"Who have you used these on?"

"Starscream, Dirge, Ravage um… Rumble and ah, um, Megatron." Eye ridges rose.

"And you used it on Megatron." She shifted uncomfortably, head bobbing in acknowledgment.

"An escape attempt, he was in recharge at the time."

"So why did he come out of recharge." She touched the back of her hand absentmindedly.

"I was thrown forward when he shifted and stabbed something in the process." She rubbed her shoulder panel. "He woke and proceeded to throw me against a wall several times." She grumbled and sat down, shifting till she was comfortable then she looked up at each of them studying their features closely.

"Which medic repaired you after Triage." She blinked her optics. 'When did I mentions Triage?' her optics narrowed at him, her memories form her first night replayed 'I screamed for him when I fritzed'

"I did it myself or attempted to; I didn't like them poking about in me. I was sure I wouldn't come out of stasis."

Ratchet eyes had taken on a dark shadow; no one should fear having to go into stasis on a medic's table.

"Come with me." He said and she followed diligently to the medical bay.

* * *

She watched his every movement as he carefully began placing rolls of wires and tools on one of the work benches. 

"What are those for?" she asked, feeling less comfortable with each tool he removed.

"I'm going to start your re-wiring." She edged back towards the door.

"But my wiring is fine." He shook his head; she was going to be a stubborn one.

"For a quick patch job, yes. But in the long term it can cause system damage." She grumbled about it before Ratchet threatened to offline her. She flinched away and he sighed.

"I'm not going to offline you," he said as he placed the last of the tools down, crossing his arms over his chest, "but to make sure all of your systems are at their most efficient I need you to do as I say." In the end she sat on the table and waited for instructions, carefully calculating each possibility of not coming back out of stasis – at the moment it seemed to be less than 1. With a weary sigh she fiddled with a claw, Ratchet was setting up the stasis lock when he caught one of her hands, carefully pressing on a wire to make them slide out.

"These are interesting but they are not standard." She shrugged.

"They were installed a deca-cycle before I escaped." He hummed at this and forced her to lie down gently.

"I'm going to set you into stasis; I'll wake you once the re-wiring is done." She nodded before her optics went offline and her body went limp.

Ratchet set to work removing the armor to expose her spark casing and the worst of the wiring just below it. Moving it aside carefully, he detached the empty spark casing. He still could think of no purpose for it and from his scans it had never housed a spark. Locking it away he set to work.

It was a week before Ratchet was finished, mostly due to a defence mechanism that kept sending rather painful shocks every time he attempted to rewire her weaponry. It took him a day to find the correct protocols to disable it, the slagging thing reset itself in the middle of a rather delicate rewiring in her hand making him jolt back.

He finished his work without the shocks and ran more scans on her, pulling up details of each tool she had at her disposal. He doubted she was meant to have them; most he believed had been procured the same way as the disrupter - from Hook without his permission. In the end the laser edged claws concerned him slightly. They were designed to shred anything they came in contact with, be it armour or a spark casing.

Her optics flickered and she sat up, a quizzical look on her features as she checked her chronometer.

"You kept me out a week?" He nodded. "Wow I must have done a really bad job." Sliding off the table she stood still, unsure of what to do.

"I have seen worse jobs done," he commented as she paced slightly. "If you ever want training I could make good use of you." She stopped in mid step.

"Did you just offer to teach me to be a medic?" He nodded and was tackled before she jumped back, looking embarrassed. "Sorry, when can we start?"

"In a few cycles, but first we have new arrivals." Her sudden bubble of happiness was popped. More Autobots meant more people that would be convinced she was a Decepticon. Ratchet took her by the arm before she could bolt away.

"I would not place you in harms way," he murmured, guessing her thoughts at that point. She protested to being steered into the recreation room and came face to face with 3 unknown Autobots. She shifted under the gaze of the three, looking at each one carefully as she backed up as much as she could. The first was a light white/silver with blue stripes up his chest, she glanced over to the middle one and froze; she'd seen him before. Scanning her memory banks she found it; he and the one beside them had snuck into the Decepticon base where she was held. They had sprayed several massages on the wall before hightailing it out of there. The worst one had been engraved in very large letters on the wall of Megatron's quarters, earning her severe punishment. She glared at the gold one; after all he was the only one in the room.

"Hail hail the lord protector in his finest mood. All 'bots know that Soundwave's up his aft!" She snarled at him. Sunstreaker snickered and then stopped, surprised. Sideswipe looked at him quizzically.

"What are you babbling 'Hazard"

"That jerk in the middle nearly got my spark ripped out and he even had the audacity to leave me behind!" Ratchet was the first to notice the claws sliding and the slow shifting to an attack position.

"I don't know what you're talking about," the bot snapped.

"You know pit slagging well what I'm talking about. I chased you over half the base screeching for you to get me out of there."

"No, I was being chased by one of Soundwave's mini brats."

"I told you I wasn't a mini con!" The red bot now looked at her carefully.

"So Sunny - this was the killer Decepticon that chased you out of Megatron's quarters."

The gold bot looked away sheepishly and muttered something to himself. The Autobots looked amused at this and it was Ironhide that spoke first.

"So the sharp clawed, dark armoured 25ft plus Decepticon that chased you round the base after you infiltrated it to play pranks was actually a 14ft light armored femme." She smirked at the gold bot's discomfort.

"I was only about 6 and a half feet then." she commented, tapping her foot and still glaring at the gold Autobot.

"You were scared off by a 6 foot sparkling," Ironhide said before his processors gave way to laughter. Her claws shifted back into her fingers and she stood up straight again. The silver and blue stripped robot had moved closer to her and was trying to examine her claws. She edged away from him, making a warning sound in her vocalizer. He looked at her and back away sheepishly.

"Sorry, I have yet to come across claws like yours." She eyed him suspiciously before shrugging. Optimus was having a hard time not smiling, she would get along well with him.

"Haphazard allow me to introduce Wheeljack." Optimus gestured to the silver and blue bot trying to look at her hands. "Sunstreaker and Sideswipe." She bobbed her head at them, not taking her eyes off Wheeljack; things were going to get a lot more interesting.

* * *

**Anyone who desperatly wants to see anything changed or added can email me at nexmelody at gmail **


	4. Flare

**Again I praise my beta VAwitch for her help **

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Transformer bar for Haphazard. **

**Hasbro own them much to my dissapointment.**

-Thanks to all of those who reviewed, all have me grinning.

The Review below was the reaction I was aiming for with the previous chaper, also the same reaction from a co-worker who also stalks the Transformers fandom

**DarkDancer:**The idea of Sunstreaker being chased out of a Decepticon base by a sparkling made me giggle so hard that my coworker thought I was having convulsions!

I look forward to seeing more of Hazard, and maybe - hopefully? - learning a little more about her. she's a really intriguing character, and I want to know how she was made!

* * *

Fractured

Chapter 4 - Flare

It had been a week since the arrival of the Twins and Wheeljack. Bumblebee had since disappeared back to his human charge, leaving her to become secluded. Sideswipe attempted to bring her out of her shell a few times when he didn't have patrols but ended up with a data pad tossed in his face and her becoming snappy.

Optimus sighed as he found her tucked into a corner of her room, busily writing on a data pad; she would twitch and flinch every so often. He knocked lightly and watched her stiffen, narrowing her optics and relaxing when she realised it was Optimus. She stood and gave a bow to him.

"May I ask, what has you hiding in your quarters?" She shifted under his gaze and passed him the data pad head, still gazing at the floor. He looked at it perplexed for a moment before realising what it was. "These are Decepticon frequency codes." She nodded. He hummed while scrolling through them then gestured for her to follow. As they rounded the corner to the operations room she hung back at the door, looking at the back of Sunstreaker. She was still not impressed with the Gold 'bots vanity, nor his ruthless attacks in battle. Optimus turned back and gave a gesture for her to come forward and she did so grudgingly, standing on the far side of him.

"Sunstreaker have you deciphered the other signals yet?"

"Still working on it." he stated.

"Let Hazard have a look at them." Sunstreaker opened his mouth to say something, but stopped at Prime's look. Haphazard moved to the console, looking at each of the signals.

"That's Dirge, Ramjet and I think Longhaul. " Humming at one of the signals, "the other one I'm not sure, it scrambled." She tried rearranging it several times before Sunstreaker started smirking. She growled and stamped a foot on the floor making the room ring.

"Leave it be for now." She nodded and pulled away from the console glaring at it. She watched Sunstreaker at the console for a few minutes before Optimus gestured for her to follow.

Entering Wheeljack's lab, Optimus asked,

"Wheeljack, how are the conversions coming along?"

"It's still rather crude, I need to filter it a few more times before it's ready for use," Wheeljack said as he nodded and caught the gaze of Haphazard. She looked away quickly, eyeing a florescent purple liquid.

"I know it's a sensitive subject for you but can I see your claws? They are intriguing." She shifted uncomfortably, looking over to Optimus who was as staunch as ever.

"You're not going to leave me alone till you see them are you?" Wheeljack didn't answer but nodded. She moved in front of him to place her hand on the table, the claws sliding out as she turned her wrist over to let him begin his examination. He disappeared for a moment and came back with a chair and a small table, setting them directly under one of the lights he almost pulled her over in his eagerness. Optimus chuckled as he left the room. Trust Wheeljack to ignore discomfort and make her open up.

* * *

Ratchet headed from his medbay to find Haphazard. She was meant to be there in a breem for her lessons but it seemed that they would be delayed. 

Sideswipe had turned up with several dents, a dislocated shoulder joint, torn wiring and a rather sheepish look on his face. He had apparently suggested something to Ironhide about the Lennox captain in the heat of their sparing match and Ironhide had taken offence. After checking the rec rooms and her quarters he headed to Optimus.

"Have you seen Hazard?" Optimus looked up from his data pad, nodding.

"In Wheeljack's lab."

"Willingly." Again Optimus nodded in the affirmative. He left feeling smug; he had known in the end her curiosity would get the better of her. He knocked and Wheeljack told him to enter.

Ratchet looked in to find Haphazard slumped on the table in a recharge state, with Wheeljack still examining the delicate wiring in her claws looking at, several tools laid on the table next to him.

"How long has she been in here?"

"About 2 cycles; she asked me about my inventions. After 5 breems she dropped into recharge, she seemed so relaxed."

Ratchet moved over to look at her. Her energy levels were consistent but there were still traces of stress in her system that seemed slow to leave. He found it strange that her automated defense system was deactivated.

"You haven't deactivated anything have you?"

Wheeljack looked at him perplexed. "Not that I'm aware of why?"

"No matter. Tell her not to worry about her lesson for today." Wheeljack nodded. "Just be careful, she can get jumpy," Wheeljack nodded as he activated one of the laser edges. It hummed and he tested the effectiveness of cutting different alloys, they sliced through most and even through cybertronian armor when enough force was exerted.

Ratchet watched for a few moments before commenting, "Don't try and improve anything Wheeljack; she doesn't appreciate people tinkering with her systems." Again the other 'bot nodded in agreement.

* * *

Haphazard came out of her recharge slowly and bolted off a pallet when she realised it wasn't her quarters. Her optics adjusted to the low lighting, and she peeked around the door. In the corner was Wheeljack jotting on a datapad, oblivious to the world around him. She opened the door carefully and tried to slink past him. 

"Morning Haphazard," he said, not looking up from the data.

"Morning……." she looked stricken. "Primus! Ratchet's going to kill me!" He stood and stopped her from running out the door.

"Don't worry; Ratchet came after you dropped into recharge and said your lesson was cancelled."

She sighed, looking relieved. As the tension left the wires in her shoulders, she said

"Thanks…how come I was in your quarters?"

"I didn't think it would be fair to wake you." She looked at him, confused. "Let's head to the mess hall," he said, changing the subject and letting her pass.

As she selected a chair with a view of the door and her back to the wall, Wheeljack sat across the table from her. "What were the Decepticons like off the battle field?"

She froze. She didn't really want to dredge those thoughts up, but Wheeljack was curious. He wouldn't hopefully press a subject if she said no. Haphazard let out a long sigh as she looked at his optics they almost begged.

"It depends on who; Thundercracker was one of the only decent ones." She looked over to Ironhide who seemed to be recharging in his seat, an energon cube half finished in front of him.

"How so?" She couldn't help smile.

"He was actually nice to me; it sounds strange but he was. He told me he missed how Cybertron used to be. He said he wanted to be able to fly without worrying about being shot at or having to shoot at Autobots."

"Thundercracker is one of the Seekers, I thought they all enjoyed destruction."

She nodded. "There's no doubt he liked to cause chaos but he is….kinder; he repaired me a few times, and did a pretty good job too," she stopped for a moment, her brow ridge dipping into a heavy frown. "Starscream lost his temper once and took it out on me. Thundercracker tried to stop him and had one of his wings torn off. Even after that, he still spoke to me."

Ironhide moved over to their table, bringing energon with him. She eyed him for a moment. "So what's this I 'ear 'bout there being decent 'cons?"

"There were a few who realised too late that it was stupid." Ironhide nodded, he could see that. "Thundercracker was one of them. It's a lot harder to refuse to join if your brothers are involved."

"Was there anyone else?"

" Hook said something about wanting to leave once but I think it was in jest to get a rise out of Skywarp."

"I wouldn't believe that they could be redeemed.," She didn't comment on this. Wheeljack seemed to find it all enthralling.

"I don't think some of them realised how long it would go on; I've never known anything but war." she said with a shrug.

"You said your first non-fragmented memory was being pulled out by Barricade," Ratchet asked as he walked in, she nodded the affirmative as she eyed the energon in the container with what looked to be distain. "What do you remember from before that." Ratchet questioned as she looked up at him.

"Just flashes mostly, a couple of faces that come up every now and then but not much else." Ratchet watched her closely; her shoulder had sunk and she looked forlorn. 'She's hiding something from me'

"Not like it matters much who your creators are, especially with a chassis like that." Sunstreaker said as he entered the room.

She tensed and focused on the table, her 4 smaller plates at her waist sliding up and under her main plates interlocking to create the overlapping shield about her spark. She looked up at him with optics narrowed, almost sneering. She kept her mouth shut, trying to rein in the burning hostility she felt towards him. Sighing, she stuck her head on the table covering her auditory processors with her hands while trying to rein in the errant program telling her to kill him

"Oh don't go all teary optics on us..." Ironhide was shaking his head at Sunstreaker, telling him to stop, Wheeljack was looking annoyed and Ratchet had his saw out threateningly. "So I was right – she's nothing but a dull, heavy chassied, weakling femme." Haphazard shot over the table with a snarl, knocking it over with a crash. Sunstreaker managed to move just out of the way as the enraged silver-blue blur passed him. She turned to him, body set in a low stance and her blade out. All other weaponry was forgotten and she glared at him.

"I am not weak." she growled.

"You still missed." She let out a laugh; it was harsh and grating, sending shivers up the spines of those nearby - it sounded much like Megatron's.

"You're just like them." She was watching his movements, one optic on the blaster as she circled him. "Harsh, egotistical, short-tempered; you hold all those around you in contempt!" Sunstreaker shook in anger, his optics dark.

"You're no different!"

"I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ELSE," she howled and launched herself forward. She blindly connected hard with something as her blade slid between armor plates, and barely noticed fluids dripping along her blade before she looked up into Ironhide's optics and Haphazard shot backwards with a shriek, looking at his pain twisted faceplate. She whirled around, darted under Optimus as she headed for the entrance doors, leaving a trail behind her as Ironhide slumped to his knees.

* * *

I'll try not to keep you hanging to long ..

* * *


	5. Flight and Function

_Wow I can't believe i've got 20 reviews on this fic _

_so a giant thankyou to everyone and major appologies for the lateness _

_And eternal gratitude to my Beta VAwitch for well betaing for me._

**

* * *

**

**Fractures**

**Chapter 5: Flight and Function**

Wheeljack and Sideswipe supported Ironhide while Ratchet moved plates aside as he scanned the damage; the damned femme had nicked the secondary energon line.

As it spurted, he hissed and managed to stop the flow.

Optimus grabbed Sunstreaker by the shoulder armour and dragged him to the brig, even as he protested at the treatment and that his paint job getting scratched.

"I didn't do anything wrong," he growled and tried to stand as he was tossed roughly into the holding cell as Optimus sealed it and started to leave. "Come on, she's the one that attacked." Optimus turned and glared at him.

"I informed each of you that her emotional control is compromised." Sunstreaker snorted folding his arms across his chest "And YOU still provoked her."

"She…" Optimus held up his hand for him to stop.

"I was present for the whole conversation."

"How long am I going to be here?"

"Until I see fit to release you." Sunstreaker punched the wall once Optimus had left. It dawned on him that his leader was pissed off; maybe he _had_ pushed her too far.

* * *

Heading to the mess hall he found Ratchet finishing off sealing the fuel line; Wheeljack had a nozzle for the flame retardant foam aimed at his chest lest the highly flammable energon alight. 

Wiping off the last of the energon and setting his chest armour back into place Ratchet let out his held breath. Ironhide's optics flickered as he came back online and he shivered a little as he stood.

"Primus what did the girl hit?" he said with a groan. As he kneaded his torso just below an armour plate,

Ratchet made him sit as he ran scans.

"She nicked the secondary energon line and cut a few cables." Ironhide nodded .

"What possessed you to get in the way?"

"As much as a pain Sunstreaker is there was a 70 chance she'd have gotten his spark."

Sideswipe looked surprised.

"I thought she didn't have any targeting systems."

"Doesn't mean she can't hit anything vital," Ratchet stated as he started towards the door.

"Ratchet stay here." He was about to protest when Optimus held up his hand. "I'll locate and bring her back." He followed the trail of fluids out of the doors and then the tire tracks for a short way before pulling onto the main highway, praying he could catch up to her before she got herself into trouble.

It took him an hour to find her, she was parked next to another vehicle at a playground, where there were 3 humans and she seemed to be watching them intently, ignoring her leader as he pulled into a space next to her. He tried to open a comm link to her and found nothing but static, pressing his sensors more onto her he found her shaking.

His holoform nodded to the humans as they left and spoke to her fully once no one was in the vicinity

"I want you to come back to base now." There was no reply from her and then her engine started a low purr,

She backed up quickly and hurried down the street. With a sigh he followed her to the police station of all places, finding her parked round the side, easy for her to skip into impossible for himself, he pulled up as close as possible before she pulled out and drove off again.

He sighed and followed her towards the local mall where she parked between two SUV's; he groaned and doubled back again passing in front of her.

"Haphazard I want you to go back to base." There was no response for a long time before he managed to park across the road from her.

"Aren't you going to drag me to base and throw me in the brig?" He sighed. She had tried his patience driving off all the time so he was relieved she was responding to his comm link finally.

"Normally I would but I'm more concerned with your safety."

She snorted in disbelief, before driving out of the area muttering over the link.

"Seems everyone's got a purpose but me; can't shoot, crap at being a medic, horrid scientist, can't scout if my life depended on it." Optimus was quiet, glad she was heading out of the town and into the desert.

Optimus threw his sensors out to their maximum, finding no vehicles or human presence.

Catching up to the cruising transformer, passed in front of her as he transformed and picked up the alt form of Haphazard.

"All of us have a purpose, we just haven't been able to identify yours." She squirmed in his grip and he walked behind a large hill and ducked lower down.

"Is Ironhide alright?" he placed her down carefully letting her transform, she looked up at him warily not sure what to do now.

"And you have no regrets that you attacked Sunstreaker." she shrugged as she mulled it over this .

"Half just goes killkillkill and then I look at Sunstreaker and I see that part of me sneering back, Somtimes I panic and then there's this... feeling in my spark and I have to attack something." He sighed, realizing just how confused she was, observations and exposure to Decepticons had completely twisted her systems.

She shifted forms and took off, eliciting a growl from the commander. He calmed as she was took a slightly roundabout route back to base. When she passed by more parks, she slowed and pressed her sensors out and observing any lifeform in the area for a short moment before moving on.

She entered the base transforming as she went before turning to Optimus as he stood towering over her his arms folded over his chest.

"You're to be confined to quarters for two earth days." She nodded and headed to her quarters, which he made sure she was in before locking the doors.

* * *

Optimus had attempted to persuade her to come out of her room after her two days confinment was over; she seemed to have other ideas resigning herself to stay in the room even as Ratchet informed her that her lessons would be cancelled. 

After two weeks of attempts, including some pleading on the behalf of Sideswipe and begrudging apologies from Sunstreaker, she still had not emerged.

Ironhide rounded the corner and found Sideswipe pacing back and forth in front of Haphazard's door.

"She's not going to come out." Ironhide stated.

"Then help me get the door open; she's overridden the command codes."

Ironhide swore.

"She was told not to reprogram items."

"Betcha' didn't specify what she couldn't reprogram," Sideswipe commented helpfully.

He scrambled away from the doors as Ironhide fired.

The first shot made it buckle and second blasted them inwards. Ratchet had come around the corner and stopped.

"I wouldn't go in there."

Sideswipe shrugged and ended up being blasted backwards. He looked up dizzily, his gyroscope thrown completely off.

"This is the normal time for her recharge cycle and her automated defense system is rather interesting."

"How did she get one of those?" he asked drowsily, not trusting his legs or gyroscope to stand up yet.

"Triage installed it; apparently he was rather protective of her."

"How'd you find that out?"

"Encoded file in her databanks, I made a copy and opened it."

"So what does it do?"

"While in recharge, it uses a specialist processor and sensor networks to make sure no one tampers with delicate systems. Any hostility detected in an area will either wake her up or the system activates weaponry and uses it."

"That's interesting. So what are the main defences?" Ironhide questioned,.

"Electrical Spikes and concussion blasts."

"Just a concussion blast? Felt like a plasma hit." Sideswipe groaned out as Ratchet reset his gyroscope and pulled him up.

"She should be out of recharge in the next breem, but she will be rather irritable so I would advise you keep back," Ratchet looked between the pair "What are you two planning?"

Ironhide grinned.

"We're gonna have a little Spark to Spark chat." Ratchet left the two mechs to wait till she was awake; he doubted she would take kindly to the hole in her door. He'd rounded the corner and a few moments later a shriek ripped down the hall making his wires tense.

"WHAT THE FRAG DID YOU DO TO MY DOOR!"

* * *

Optimus froze at the feral shrieking sound that echoed through the corridors and up to the communications room. He stepped out of his office and saw Sunstreaker look out from the Comms room, also confused at the sound. He headed down the stairs and witnessed Ironhide and Sideswipe with a rather angry Haphazard being carried between them as they headed to the recreation room. 

He shook his head at them, about to go after them when Ratchet came up to him.

"In the medical bay now Optimus." He was about to protest. "Your exam starts in half a breem." Optimus sighed, hoping beyond hope that he didn't have to chase after Haphazard again.

Ironhide was having trouble keeping the fuming femme from blasting a hole in his armour. It seemed that since Ratchet had rewired her that the blast had become stronger, she stood vents going 10 to 1 to keep her systems cool.

"Look; we were concerned, you haven't been taking in energon and you locked yourself into your room." Sideswipe said and ducked as a chair barely missed his head.

"I was gonna come out in a day," she snapped.

"But we didn't know that," Ironhide said and took a step towards her. She snorted. The cannon was put away and she continued to glare at them. She stiffened and her optics flickered for a moment.

"Hazard you all right?" Ironhide asked as she shook her head.

"Did you have to wake me up?" she growled. "And why'd you try to sneak in anyway?" she asked, pointing at Sideswipe.

"We were gonna carry you here while you were in recharge for a bit of a talk is all." She snorted and rolled her shoulders.

"Well you could have waited." Ironhide was watching her movements as she sat on the sofa and eyed Sideswipe as he stood from his crouching position.

He watched as she growled quite suddenly, and started to pull out various tools and started to remove her armour, they turned away quickly.

"What are ya' doin'!" they heard more clinking of tools on metal, she seemed unconcerned at this. Wheeljack came into the room and promptly turned around walking into Sunstreaker.

She looked up for a moment then looked back at the armour, oblivious to the uncomfortable mechs.

Glancing at a perplexed Ironhide, Sideswipe had also turned away but was trying to discreetly watch her via the reflection in the TV.

"My armour was burning; I had to get it off." She seemed unfazed. "Why are you guys acting all weird?"

"CAUSE YUR NOT MENT TA STRIP!!!!" Ironhide bellowed still averting his gaze.

Optimus covered his optics as soon as he entered.

"You saw me in when I was in protoform, what's the difference now?"

"Hazard put your armour back on." She grumbled and they heard the dull clinks as it was put back on, Sideswipe looked crestfallen before Ironhide whacked him on the back of the head.

She stood, shifting uncomfortably in her armour and grumbling about mechs.

Ratchet entered and looked at the 3 mechs and the grumbling Haphazard.

"What is going on here?" Haphazard looked up at him.

"My armour felt like it was burning so I took some of it off." Ratchet let out a sigh.

"Come with me I'll run some diagnostics." She trailed after him towards the medical bay, still not seeing the problem with removing her shoulder and side armour.

"Up on the bench." She did as she was told, knowing better than to annoy medics. She watched at a flash of gold ran past the door then peeked in.

"SUNSTREAKER IF YOU SO MUCH AS ENTER MY MEDICAL BAY I'LL WELD YOUR AFT TO A TRUCK!" She bristled at the pitch in Ratchet's voice. Surprised. Sunstreaker doubled back and narrowly missed being hit by a flying wrench.

She shrugged as he began to scan her systems again,. The conversation Optimus had repeated weighing heavy on his processors 'half of me just goes killkillkill.'

* * *

Optimus pulled the unknown protoform's signal up on the screen, he could neither find Autobot or Decepticon frequencies being emitted and it sent all of his sensors into a frenzy. 

No good would come from this protoform, he felt it in his spark.

Sunstreaker stood beside him frowning at the signal as it was traced.

"Has it sped up?" Optimus nodded, it was going to land somewhere near Lake Huron.

"It quadrupled its speed in the last three hours; it should enter the atmosphere in about an hour."

"Do we have any idea who it is yet?"

"None, Haphazard still cannot identify it." Sunstreaker snorted.

"Why do you put so much faith in that femme?" he asked with a growl.

"The universe is no place for a lone femme who knows nothing of friendship."

"You really believe that she not a 'Con?" Optimus rounded on him.

"Some told me placing faith in you and your brother was as risky as bringing Soundwave into the base and giving him full access to out systems, I have yet to regret my decision."

Sunstreaker looked away, felling almost embarrassed; it was bad enough that Sideswipe had been pissed at him for the incident in the mess hall.

"Okay then but what good is she, she can't even keep her temper in check." Optimus laughed at this.

"And this is coming from a mech whom I've had to throw in the brig multiple times for loosing his temper over his paint getting scratched."

With an embarrassed shrug, Sunstreaker returned to watching the monitor with Optimus, as they waited for the protoform to make its landing.


	6. Persistance

_I'm so delighted that people are enjoying this fic so thanks for the encouragment._

_and more thanks to the brillian beta VAwitch _

_no enough of my ramblings onwards to the chapter _

Disclaimer:I don't own Transformers, I own only the OC characters and I'm making absolutly no money from this either.

* * *

Fractures 

Persistance 

The protoform slammed into the edge of a forest rimming Lake Huron before bouncing over a deep incline to land in the lake, the furious howl echoing around the empty area as the protoform unfolded itself and clawed its way up the incline muttering to itself.

"I hate organic planets, I hate organics!" it growled again as it pushed its way trough the dense trees toward what might possibly be some form of city to the north.

The spindly gray transformer kicked a log in its way, fuming over the organic mess around him, and how could their illustrious leader fall to such a planet, but then he was irrational at the best of times.

His sensors picked up a vehicle and some organic bipedal creatures at the edge of his short-range sensors to the south. Changing directions, it snuck closer, drinking in the nervous energy as he stepped heavily on a branch to make it crack.

It crouched, red optics brightening as he pouncing forward to slam a fist onto the vehicle making the organic creatures shriek and scamper away falling over themselves in their fear.

It cackled as it swept the two humans up, prodding one of them with a clawed finger.

"Such primitive creatures, they don't even have armor to protect their pitiful protoform!" it cackled again before dropping them on the ground.

It looked over the vehicle, an old pickup truck and nudged it with a foot, the half crushed vehicle would be to large anyway for him to fit in correctly and not to mention detestable.

"Still confined to wheels, how disgusting."

Something crept into the edge of his long-range sensors, something distinctly Decepticon. With a grimace he trudged off towards it, that interceptor was practically yelling at the Autobots to come catch him "_One __would __think __he'd learn to hide his __signals._"

The interceptor came haring round the road before transforming before stopping.

"You didn't follow the co-ordinates," the interceptor growled.

"Oh so hostile today Barricade. Your co-ordinates were close to the base. You would just love the Autobots to find it."

"I am the most senior officer here Triage!"

The protoform let out peals of laughter.

"Oh you would love to believe that but no."

Barricade looked livid, bringing the flail out and ready to attack him. Triage was unconcerned about this.

"If you want Lord Megatron to be resurrected you will follow my commands." Triage turned his back on Barricade and stalked off in the direction of the base, he'd need to find an alternative form soon.

* * *

"SUNSTREAKER I'M GONNA RIP YOUR LIMBS OFF!!" Sunstreaker jumped off his berth with a grin as Sideswipe followed suit. 

"Wow Hazard sounds fragged, she must really like her paint job." The pair darted out of their room to find her leaving her own quarters, her normal silver-blue paint job now mottled with splashes of orange, gold, red, green and silver.

She caught sight of them and came towards them at a run, sword out and ready to follow through with her threats. The pair skidded round the corner laughing like mad things, assmall amounts of paint trailed on the floor.

Sunstreaker darted into a supply room, as Sideswipe headed down the stairs.

"Whatcha done to tick the femme off?" Ironhide muttered at Sunstreaker, he just grinned. Suddenly, there was a low frequency booming from outside the door and a startled yelp.

Ironhide and Sunstreaker looked out of the room to find Haphazard sitting on the floor, looking dazed, optics blinking rapidly as they tried to focus.

Sideswipe was leaning against the wall laughing, his optics closed.

Ironhide was attempting to keep his face strait and his vocaliser quiet; she was covered in multicoloured metallic hearts and stars all stuck onto the still wet paints.

Ironhide let out a sigh and pulled her up so she was standing, she recovered enough to wobble on the spot and glared at the twins before looking over her arms.

She chuckled, "well it could have been worse, they could have used pink."

"I'll get you back for this," she muttered as she went past heading to the med bay, she walked into a wall with a clang, stepped back and edged round the corner.

Wheeljack stuck his head of his quarters.

"Please tell me that you haven't started a prank war?" Sunstreaker shrugged and started off to the rec room, still laughing himself.

"You'd best hope that ..." Ironhide began but was cut off by a bellow from the medical officer.

"SUNSTREAKER, SIDESWIPE GET YOUR AFTS UP HERE NOW." The pair blanched on the stairs .

"We'll just go throw ourselves in the brig," Sideswipe said. "At least Hatchet won't get us till we're out."

Ratchet stormed back into the medical bay to find Haphazard standing in the back room, standing ridged as she looked at the partially repaired remains of Jazz.

She didn't move when he tried to gently move her out. She had an incredibly confused look on her face plate and her optics had dimmed as she edged closer. As

she moved in slowly, edging up to his body and reaching out.

"What are you doing?" he said trying to keep his voice calm.

"Trying to understand," she sighed and looked over Jazz. She looked at his face plate before touching the broken visor. "He has the same visor as Soundwave."

"Similar, yes." She ran her fingers down from chest plate to waist looking closely at the repairs.

"He's different." Ratchet moved to pull her away, but stopped as she touched the dead mech's face plate again. "They weren't like him, they were all different."

"How were they different?" she let Ratchet move her away but stopped to continue looking at Jazz.

"I'm not sure but they weren't like him. I know he was alive but when Barricade pulled me out it didn't feel like they were real." She stood just watching Jazz till Ratchet pulled her out fully and locking the door.

"Can I ask you something?" Haphazard said bluntly, waiting quietly for an answer as he moved around the medbay.

"Go ahead."

"Why won't Optimus let me fight?" Ratcher paused for a moment before turning to her looking at her carefully.

"Because you're untrained in combat and he doesn't want you to become injured." She crossed her arms over her chest with a snort.

"Everyone but Sunstreaker tells me that, he said it's more likely cause I'm a femme."

Ratchet let out an electronic sigh, trust Sunstreaker to drive her curiosity up.

He'd heard her questioning Sunstreaker several times, it seemed that he would answer what ever she asked of him.

"Yes it is because you're a femme."

"But then how come he won't let me fight? Ironhide's training me."

Ratchet nearly let out a groan, she was being stubborn.

"Tell me when you were held by the Decepticons did you see any other femme's there?" She frowned, scanning her memories.

"No."

"Do you know how many femmes there were in the Autobot ranks before we departed for this world?" She shook her head.

"There were only 7 in the ranks." Her face had taken on a rather blank expression.

"Why are there so few?"

"Because Megatron ordered their deaths." She flinched at the name, but watched him, trying to find a lie.

"Why did he do that?" Ratchet moved closer to her, he sensed her spark shudder and sink. "Why'd he keep me if he wanted them dead?."

"No one knew until he gave the order and the troops marched. Those few Decepticons that refused to co-operate were executed as well. " He placed a hand on her shoulder and made her move towards his office, grimacing at the paint. "As to why he decided you should live, think of it as a blessing from Primus."

"Okay but that still doesn't answer my question," she grumbled as he forced her to sit down.

"Now do you know the tale of our creation?" She shook her head about to repeat the question when he held up a hand for her to stop. "It is said that when the cube first came to our world that it was barren, no life existed in this area of space but then the AllSpark created the first two transformers out of two tiny moons that orbited our world."

Optimus watched the femme from the doorway to Ratchet's office as she listened with complete attention; it was rare to see her sitting down for more than a few moments at a time.

He grinned as she tracked Ratchet as he paced round the room slowly.

"The first were Primus and Unicron, Primus was reason and Unicron chaos; for each needed the other to be." She nodded eagerly drinking in the knowledge, optics bright. "Then the AllSpark created more of our kind the, but they were not like Primus and Unicron. They were intelligent but they lacked a soul; they could not process sensations and were emotionless, nothing more than drones."

"Sounds like Soundwave." she muttered darkly.

Ratchet shook his head and motioned her to hush, as Optimus smirked. She still hadn't noticed him standing behind her chair.

"Soon Unicron realised that he could harness the drones and began the first war.

Primus rose to arms calling forth drones but something else happened. Those he touched became sentient, able to feel much in the same way we do but they had no will to survive and they would die within days."

" The war came to an epic battle between the pair. During the fight, parts of the pair broke off and merged, from them the creation matrix was forged, the emotions and awareness that Primus gave and Unicron's will to survive creating a balanced object." She was almost bouncing on the spot, grinning as she was listening to the legends.

"So that is how the order of Primes came to be, the creation matrix funnelling the energy of the AllSpark and giving sentience to our people."

"So Optimus does that?" he smiled sadly and Optimus spoke up making her jump and dive over to the other side of Ratchet's desk.

"Not with the AllSpark gone."

"So what has this got to do with femmes?" she questioned as she straightened her self, trying in vain to pretend it didn't happen.

"A pair of mechs can create a sparkling if they are bond mates or their spark resonances are harmonized," Optimus paused, allowing her to absorb the new information. "Now a femme's spark resonates at a frequency that can merge with any mech or femme to create a sparkling." She bowed as he turned to leave the room and waited till he was out of her auditory range before turning to Ratchet.

"Just one question how do I get this stuff off me?"

* * *

Ironhide opened up conference windows as an inbound communication from the Secretary of Defense came online. John Keller looked tired as his face filled one of the screens. 

"Good evening Ironhide. We have the Intel on the protoform that landed at dusk." Files came on screen, pulling up images of the protoform as it seemed to lean at odd angles, along with images of crushed vehicles and medical reports.

Optimus entered and looked at the images but so far he didn't recognise it.

"It landed and proceeded to attack two of the locals, crushed their vehicle and was escorted by Barricade to an abandoned airfield."

Ironhide huffed - how unoriginal of the 'Cons.

"Are they still at the base?"

"No they scattered and managed to jam the signal to the satellites."

"Can we be of assistance?"

"Miss Madison and Mr. Whitman have erased the signal and brought the satellites back online, Captain Lennox and his team have requested to have a short stay at the base to meet and greet the three new comers."

Optimus stood still. 'Best to inform them now before they thinks they're an invader."

"There was another who landed before the arrival of the twins."

There was a blank look on the face of the secretary of defence.

"We weren't informed of this." Optimus nodded.

"Haphazard is somewhat unstable,as extensive damage was inflicted on her protoform from an earlier age." Keller considered this quickly.

"So there are a few of these femmes left." Optimus gave a quick nod.

"Maybe I should meet this Haphazard at some point." Ironhide nearly let out a groan hissing at Optimus in Cybertronian

"**This can go to the pits quicker than a turbofox on the run."**

"If you wish Mr Keller." Optimus said lightly with a half glare at Ironhide. "It will do her well to meet the planet's dominant species."

"I'll attend with Captain Lennox and his men. I look forward to meeting her."

"When exactly will Captain Lennox be arriving?"

"A week from now, at 1300 hours."

* * *

Haphazard sighed with relief as she scrambled out of the med bay. Ratchet was strange sometimes; Sideswipe had tried to come in and he'd thrown a wrench at him. 

Skidding round a corner she looked into Wheeljack's lab.

He was there like always, tinkering with a large tube this time; wires dangled out of its gutted interior and she wondered exactly what it was.

She began to edge closer. She wouldn't disturb him, just get a closer look as he normally didn't mind her in his lab.

Haphazard went to move inside but pulled back, something fluttered against her processor making her feel dizzy and then that feeling in her spark began again.

She moved away from the door and sliding along it, she forgot the incline of the ramp and stumbled. She pressed her head against the cool metal of the wall once she'd righted herself and began a prayer to Primus that it would stop.

Sunstreaker slinked up the ramp from the brig, hoping Ratchet was a bit calmer now. He stopped dead in his tracks, frowning at Haphazard.

Stepping closer her looked down at her; she was curled on the floor, hands at her helm in a death grip and she was muttering something to herself that he only caught snippets of.

"_Prime…..fragger….he …. again…. Hurts….stop them...claws…break them…__tear__…" _

"Hazard, are you all right?" She flinched, curling up tighter and hissing when he reached out.

Her hands dropped and she pulled herself upright, claw marks leaving deep gouges in the wall.

He caught sight of her optics and backed up; they were flickering and alternating between scarlet and blue.

He trailed her as she stumbled off until she stopped in front of a wall. She ran her hand against it growling,

"_It was here, they changed it…"_

Haphazard back pedaled, crouching low. Sunstreaker grabbed her before she attacked the wall, as he pulled her back, she swore at him.

"Hazard calm down you'll hurt yourself." She growled at him, thrashing in his grip.

"Release me now" she demanded of him in a voice laced with venom.

"I don't think so." She twisted, managing to get an arm free and swiped at his face. He dropped her and ducked away with a growl.

Sideswipe couldn't help but frown as he watched Sunstreaker and Haphazard. She held herself like she was a rather large mech, shoulders high and held slightly back, ready to snatch up a smaller mech who was disrespectful.

She stalked round him, red optics looking for a weakness she could exploit.

Sideswipe watched as she lunged forward. She moved fast but Sunstreaker was trained for warfare and this was his field of expertise.

Sunstreaker danced around her next attack, watching as those red glowing claws ripped into a wall not too far from him. She snarled and wrenched them out of the steel, flexing them in her annoyance.

Sunstreaker slinked up grabbing her wrists before she had time to react, pulling them behind her back and roughly forcing her to her knees. He examined her from behind, anger ebbing away as he held her in place. The tension dropped away from her and she twisted slightly turning her head to look up at Sunstreaker, complete confusion in her pale blue optics.

"Are we doing combat training?"

Sideswipe face palmed trying to hold in a laugh, she could be so odd sometimes.

"What do we tell her Sunny?" Sideswipe questioned over their bond.

"How should I know and don't call me that."

They snapped silently at each other for a breem as Haphazard sat rather patiently, still held in place by Sunstreaker.

"Can I get up yet?"

* * *

Cookies to those who can guess what Optimus and Ratchet haven't told Hazard about spark splitting 

it'll apear in a later chapter.


	7. Partition

_I'm so delighted that people are enjoying this fic so thanks for the encouragment._

_and more thanks to the brilliant beta VAwitch _

_off we go into another chapter and things will really start to heat up soon, _

Disclaimer:I don't own Transformers, I own only the OC characters and I'm making absolutly no money from this either.

* * *

**Fractures**

Chapter 6: Partition

As Optimus greeted Defense Secretary Keller and Captain Lennox's military unit warmly, 5 of the humans in the 13 man team stared up at him, along with two scientists that were also attending the base hoping to meet Wheeljack.

"Defense Secretary Keller it is good to have you at the base."

"It'll be interesting to see." he said with a nod.

Some of the military men seemed almost reluctant to move forward.

"Allow me to introduce the newest arrivals. Our resident scientist Wheeljack."

Wheeljack gave a small wave. "Sunstreaker and Sideswipe." They saluted in turn.

"And Haphazard should be here," Ratchet said, looking down the hallway. As he tried the personnel locator, Optimus turned on his heel and went down the hall, turning the corner.

"Where's he going?" someone questioned.

"Trying to find Hazard." Wheeljack said lightly, his resonators flashing.

There was a thumping noise and loud electronic noises before Optimus came around the corner with a blue robot in his arms, which was making the noise and trying in vain to escape.

Brow ridges had risen on most of the Cybertronians. Will Lennox couldn't help his grin; she sounded very much like a rather annoyed Ironhide.

"So what exactly is she saying?" John Keller questioned.

"She is voicing her displeasure at being dragged out of her quarters," Optimus said as he hissed back at her in Cybertronian. She stopped but continued to look annoyed.

"This is Haphazard." She gave a stiff salute and went to leave again., Optimus put a hand on her shoulder and turned her back around, "Be polite and at least say hello."

She looked down at the humans, a rather wide grin on her face plate. Haphazard dropped to her knees with a clang, coming extremely close to the face of Will Lennox.

"Why are humans so small?" she questioned excitedly in Cybertronian "Why is so much of your information network devoted to procreation techniques?"

Will Lennox cocked an eyebrow at her and Sergant Epps just couldn't help it.

"English dude, English." Haphazard blinked several times.

"Why is so much your information network devoted to pr eeek" Optimus had bent down and pulled her up, setting her on her feet and giving her a stern look.

"Hazard that is not an appropriate question." She folded her arms over her chest.

"Am I allowed to ask questions?" He seemed to pause for a moment then said,

"Only questions approved beforehand."

Defense Secretary Keller looked at the ongoing dynamics; the others treated him like a friend and leader but she didn't seem to have the same thoughts.

"Let her ask the questions, not like she can embarrass us," Epps said under his breath to

Lennox.

She perked up and her head cocked to the side, the men chuckled as she went to kneel in front of him again.

"See they don't mind." she turned to look up at Optimus "What type of lu.." Ratchet was quick to disconnect her vocal processors before he headed back into the medical bay.

She fumed for several moments giving the wall to her side a swift kick. Hazard started grinning as she reverted to human sign language to ask questions.

"Hazard , are you trying to get Optimus to slag your aft?" Sunstreaker questioned as Sideswipe laughed at her latest question."Do all humans enjoy being tied up in overload?" One of the men looked at her slightly confused as he pondered the question; she signed back at him the explanation of an overload and watched as he gaped and flushed.

Haphazard straightened up and fluttered her fingers at Sunstreaker for a moment, then snickered as she sent him a message back.

"Do you know that I've heard you reference that to your brother on one of your late night interfaces." Sunstreaker looked at her bewildered for a moment.

"You can't have heard us, the walls are sound proof!" She grinned at him.

"Only works if you have the door shut, so no, I don't want Optimus to slag me."

Sunstreaker stood gaping it looked as though his jaw was about to drop off.

They were by no means shy but the way she said it was almost horrifying, it occurred to him that it might be the reason she chose to recharge during the day.

"Well it was nice to meet you all but I have to run now." She turned and skipped round the dumbstruck twins and the confused Autobots.

"Oh she is such a little fragger." Sunstreaker snapped as he took off after her, he sent the messages to his brother who wore an identical expression, before he took off after his brother and Haphazard.

Keller looked as confused as the other Autobots.

"Should we be concerned for her safety?" All Optimus could do was shrug.

"I'll make sure they don't do too much damage." Wheeljack muttered as he transformed and went after them.

* * *

Haphazard grinned as she slid into Ironhide's quarters. He looked up at her for a moment before pointing his cannon at the door. 

"What'd ya do to the twins?"

"Nothing," she messaged "But Ratchet turned off my vocal processor so I can't ask inappropriate questions of the humans." She jumped onto one of the tables and pushed aside a panel, scrambling into a cubby hole before sealing it again.

Ironhide shook his head and continued to read the data pad, before heading over to his spare cannon and stripping it down to work on a control component.

Sunstreaker burst into the room growling, Sideswipe seemed to be less enthusiastic about it and was inspecting the armor on his shoulder.

"Sunstreaker you're to be on communications detail!" Ironhide snapped as he leveled the cannon at the red twin.

"But" Ironhide charged the cannon, the orange glow glaring and the high whine menacing.

"Back on duty slacker." Sunstreaker took off back to the top level, while Sideswipe continued to stand there. "And you're after what?" Ironhide growled out at him, the cannon still charged.

"Just wondering if Hazard is in here, I'm not going to do anything bad to her." Sideswipe said with a shrug.

"If ah see her I'll send her your way." A banging from the cubby hold made both of them look up, it blasted outward and a panicking Haphazard fell out.

One of the long chains Ironhide occasionally used to hang the cannon from the ceiling was wrapped about her neck, twisted around her arm and shoulder and curled round her chest as it lodged in between the armour plating on her back.

She struggled wildly trying to dislodge it, only for the chain to slide deeper into her back and tighten.

Sideswipe moved closer to try and dislodge it only to be shot at, the cannon on her left arm charging to the maximum and firing at him again.

"Hay Hazard calm down it's not like were go…" the blast this time caught him in the shoulder sending him reeling. "Hazard calm down you slagging femme!" She didn't seem to hear him.

Ironhide moved forward and her cannon aimed towards him as the chains tightened again.

Haphazard's mouth plate worked furiously and her optics seemed feverish.

Ironhide inched closer, one cannon present and uncharged as he reach towards her trying to seem as little a threat as possible.

Haphazard bolted, running past them.A dull crunch and crackling noise followed as the shoulder and arm wrapped in chains caught the door and wrenched it, sending sparks showering onto the ground.

"Optimus, Hazard's got herself tangled and is panicking.'" Ironhide called over an open comm channel, Wheeljack pressed himself against the wall to avoid the sprinting mass of Ironhide and the darker blue blurr that preceded him, as Sideswipe paused to explaing to Wheeljack

"Where is she now?"

"Heading towards the brig, she's runnin' blind." he groused back as he followed her down. She dodged around a corner and stopped just short of the back wall of the brig, where Optimus and Ratchet came to in a few moments.

"I'll take Sideswipe and distract the humans." Wheeljack called over the comm.

* * *

Optimus drew back as she turned towards them, mouth going furiously as blood red optics glared at him, her arm cannon raised and she fired at him. When the shot missed, easily passing between himself and Ratchet, Haphazard kicked the wall with a snarl and inspected the cannon. 

Her mouth plate continued to move without a sound, before Ratchet's laser fired and reset her vocalizer.

"Think you can hold me back son of a glitch, they can't hold me long fragger," Haphazard wrenched against the chains again letting out an angry howl.

"REMOVE THEM NOW!" she snarled at Ironhide, still fighting against the chains.

"Ah don't think I'll do that till ya calm down Hazard." She let out another chain of cybertronian curses before firing again.

Ratchet frowned as he ran scans on her.

"Optimus, her spark signature has changed." Optimus frowned at him, stepping away from a shot fired from her cannon.

"What do you mean it's changed?"'

"One moment 'there is her signature and then a second one is trying to take control of her body; we need to stop her before she fries her processors."

She growled angrily and twisted again.

"Don't ignore me Prime!" She snarled, eyes flashing. "I won't be shoved aside!" Hazard twisted again, yanking the chains.

Optimus looked at her carefully, praying to Primus that her creator wasn't who he believed it to be.

"Hazard I will untie you if you calm down." Optimus started towards her and she screamed.

"That is not my designation!" He stopped about 6 feet from her, as she landed on her knees, body shuddering and optics flickering between red and blue. "What is my designation?!"

Ratchet had moved behind her now, optics traveling over the chains.

"Your designation is Haphazard." Optimus said softly. She snarled and surged upwards.

Ratchet pulled back avoiding detection form the angry femme.

"Do not toy with me; WHAT IS MY DESIGNATION!" her vocalizer cracked with the strain.

Ironhide leveled a cannon at her.

"We don't know, ya silly femme. We've always called ya Haphazard."

Optimus started forward again and caught her as she collapsed; Ratchets fingers slid deftly between the plates on her shoulder activating the stasis switch.

"What is my des…"


	8. Shifting Points

_Wow this is really taking off, _

_Thanks again to VAwitch of betaing this_

_anything in bold is in cybertronian while humans are in the room. otherwise its native language_

_enjoy_

_

* * *

_

_**Fractures**_

**_Shifting Points_**

_--System check ---_

_---Vital systems functioning at 60--_

_---Auditory sensors active--_

"_Make sure the connection is uniform," someone commanded as they shuffled around. _

_---Optical sensors activated---_

_---Vocal module activated--- _

_She looked up as dark shapes moved around her, stark against the brightness of the room, then something glittered to her side and she tried to move._

_A screen to her side flickered as the words read connection output 734.2, siphon input 793.8._

_There were several shouts as she twisted to get a better look at the glittering thing, it twitched and groaned. _

"_Sir, it's come online!" one of the shapes yelled as it hovered over her, clawed finger reaching out to her. _

"_SHUT IT DOWN!" She began to struggle against the chains and straps that held her to the table._

_She screamed as the claws reached round the back of her neck , the shadow moved back hastily, snarling at her, then pain flared as the clawed hand slammed across her faceplate snapping her head to the side. She could feel something tug in her chest; it twisted and caused her to wail._

_Someone began to scream; it rose in volume as she tried to move her head, everything hurt._

"_You idiot what did you do." The first one yelled, her vision flickered as the glittering mass beside her surged upward. _

_--Error ---Optical sensors damaged---_

_---Error --- Optical sensors deactivated ---_

"_Has it been deactivated?" the first voice snarled, a hand on her face turning her head back. _

"_Yes it's inactive," A third voice muttered as someone screamed again. "Was it successful Sid…"_

_---Auditory Processors deactivated---_

_---Error Auditory Processors damaged---_

_---Error ---- Main Processor damaged---_

_---Stasis lock activated---_

Ratchet growled as the memory played, it was the first in her databanks, heavily encrypted and hidden away but most definitely the first memory.

He played it 3 more times; each of those voices were so familiar but he just couldn't place them.

Haphazard was in stasis lock and secured to the recharge berth. Her spark had settled back to normal but he just couldn't explain how it had changed so drastically in the first place.

Ratchet flopped into his chair with a groan as he rubbed his head and looked over more of her memories; a few had similar settings that indicated a controlled environment for medical research; that much was certain.

There was a tap on his office door and Ironhide entered. Looking rather ragged, he sat down with arms folded over his chest.

"Any luck with Optimus?"

"Still holed up in his office," Ironhide said with a groan. "Still refusing to speak to anyone." There was another tap on his door and Sunstreaker peeked in.

"Sorry to interrupt, will she be waking up anytime soon?"

"You're meant to be on communications detail." Sunstreaker frowned at Ironhide.

"I switched with Sideswipe; I will do a double shift tonight." He looked over at Ratchet.

"Can I talk to you privately? It might be important." Ironhide's eye ridge rose; Sunstreaker was serious.

Ironhide stood and left the medical bay with a backwards glance at the office door.

Ratchet watched Sunstreaker as he settled into the seat, looking rather nervous.

"What is it that you wanted to tell me?"

"She told me something that might help in figuring out the encryption codes."

"How do you know of the encrypted files?"

"She asked me to help her unlock some files."

"And did you?" Sunstreaker shook his head.

"Most of them are well beyond my capabilities." Ratchet nodded as he closed the memory file.

"Why has she been confiding in you?"

"I wouldn't call it confiding in me, it's more like she's rambling to herself and I'm in the room."

Ratchet huffed before bringing out blank data chips .

"What is it that you know?"

"The Decepticons didn't always call the medic Triage, occasionally he was called Sidetrack." Ratchet felt rage bubble in his spark, his optics darkening at the name.

"And you're sure of this." Sunstreaker nodded and shuffled back quickly.

"Why is that designation familiar? I've never met this Sidetrack."

"He performed your second upgrade."

"What I want to know is why she spazed, she got tangled before but all she did was pull the chains off."

"A corrupted program, - it activated survival protocols and a battle program." Sunstreaker kept optical contact with Ratchet as he raised an eye ridge.

"Which one; the same one that was installed illegally in my second upgrade?" Ratchet slowly nodded optics still locked with Sunstreaker's.

"And what else have you gleamed out of her."

"Well I was there when it happened last time." Ratchet glared at Sunstreaker .

"Go on..."

* * *

Ironhide pounded on the door to Prime's office and got a grunt of acknowledgment; John Keller was sitting on his shoulder along with Will Lennox. 

"**Prime, Open the door!"** He growled in Cybertronian "**Keller needs ta speak ta ya 'bout something rather important!" **

The door was ripped open and Prime loomed over him.

Prime was darker; his usual ruby red and sapphire blue armour had darkened to a dark crimson and black.

Ironhide moved back quickly as Prime's optics narrowed at him, the humans might not be able to see the eerie undertone of scarlet threatening to change his optics but he certainly could.

Optimus didn't speak but bore his gaze into Ironhide's. The anger emanating from him was chilling and Ironhide really wished he could melt into molten metals and seep through the cracks in the wall hiding away form the angry Prime.

"S**orry ta disturb ya." **John Keller and Will Lennox both shared a look of confusion and nervousness; the humans sensed the anger and could see the physical effect.

"What was that? I mean what was with Optimus?" Will asked quickly, Ironhide didn't speak till they were near the medical bay.

"Optimus is fragged off 'bout something." John Keller looked up at him frowning. "Ah ain't staying about when he takes it out in the rink." Ironhide tensed when he heard Will mutter about seeing family resemblance now, normally Ironhide would have been angry and contested this but he couldn't.

"Is he often like this?" Ironhide let out a bark of laughter as Defence Secretary Keller questioned him.

"Primus no, I've only seen him like it twice."

"And what would get him pissed off that much?" Will asked.

"Ah don't know but it has ta be big. Last time it was the genocide of the femme's an' sparklings," they felt the mech's shoulders droop; it was still a sore point and it always would be for they'd lost so many friends and comrades on their side through bonds. "Before that it was Megatron's betrayal."

Ironhide tapped on the door to the medical bay, no answer he tried again and it slipped open.

"**The program that tried to take over…. It's not a program is it?" **Sunstreaker asked Ratchet. There was no reply as he was ushered out of the office.

Ironhide looked carefully between the two. "**I'll find out if you don't tell me Ratchet.**"

"I know that Sunstreaker."

Ironhide let Sunstreaker pass; Ironhide hoped that he didn't run into Optimus.

"Might want ta warn the others that Primes fragged off," Ironhide commented.

Ratchet nodded as he plucked the two humans off Ironhide's shoulder and set them on the bench.

"**Sunstreaker has informed" he began as **a frightened scream ripped though the air.

Haphazard surged against the restraint of the medical berth, the restraints groaning and the shrieking of metal on metal making them wince.

Lennox and Keller jumped at the scream, turning to look at the whimpering blue robot strapped to the table, as both of the Cybertronians forgot about them on the bench.

"Well at least were not goanna get stepped on" Will commented.

"**I didn't do it, I didn't Triage I didn't do it!"** she screamed louder when Ironhide leaned on her chest to stop her from damaging herself, trying to keep her as still as possible.

"**Didn't do what."** he growled at her. He hadn't meant to sound harsh but when your audios are ringing its hard not to. She whimpered as she pressed into the medical berth still tugging at the restraints.

"**I didn't Blackout." **Ironhide pulled back with a start; he didn't resemble that mech in any form, he shook his head at her and leaned back on her chest again

Her optics darted to Ratchet as he pulled out a vial of golden coloured liquid from a cupboard. She wrenched at the restraints as he moved closer, optics darting between Ratchet and the door.

"**I didn't let them in Triage." **she whimpered out, "**I didn't I don't know the codes I didn't let them in."**

Ratchet stopped, placing the liquid down on the bench and turned to the screens, pulling up her current read outs.

"**Ironhide over here**." The mech in question moved over to him, also looking at the screen. On the top left were the last readings from her processor and the rest of the screen flashed warnings and stressed readings.

"**What's this stuff mean?**" Ironhide grumbled looking back at Haphazard over his shoulder.

"**The pattern in her processors is fluctuating wildly and is attempting to purge memories**."

Ratchet turned and advanced on her intending to use the stasis lock switch again.

The doors to the med bay were forced open and Optimus stalked in, optics flashing as he moved towards Haphazard.

"**Ratchet is she lucid?**" he said with strained politeness. He looked over to Haphazard as she fought against the restraints, trying to get away form Prime. The computer bleeped imperiously at him flashing scarlet at her status.

"**She is no where near lucid and you are not improving her condition Prime!" **

The warning from the computers became louder and more demanding.

"**Make her lucid Ratchet; I need to speak with her now." **

"**That isn't going to happen Prime. Her spark is strained and it's pulsing much too fast." **

Optimus turned to wards her, ignoring the CMO as he protested. He moved to the side of her berth arms, folded across his chest as he glared down at her.

"**I didn't let them in, I didn't!" **she cried as he lent closer to her.

"**Prime, your scaring her. Get out!" **Ratchet hissed at him, as he was ignored.

"**Who did you let in?"** Haphazard flinched and stopped moving, trying to curl up as Optimus practically growled at her.

"**The silver one, the Autobot." **She yelped suddenly and began to protest.** "I didn't let him in Lord Megatron, I didn't I don't know how."** Optimus drew back quickly, turning on his heel leaving quickly; he paused at the door looking back to Ratchet.

"**Shut her down before she damages herself." **

She screamed rather loudly when Ratchet turned to her, the recently repaired shoulder crunched and began sparking again as she attempted to release herself, clawing at the restraints, energon starting to leak onto the floor at an alarming rate.

"So what's wrong with her?" Keller called out. Haphazard stopped struggling against the bonds, her optics losing their glassy appearance and focusing on him, a frown appearing on her face plate.

"**What's wrong with whom**?" she questioned Ratchet. Plainly confused, she tried to sit up and stopped moving with a yelp.

"**Hold still**" Ratchet commanded her, as he pulled back plating, grumbling as he began to repair her yet again."**Ironhide take the human away.**"

Ironhide shook his head and turned to the humans; they were watching him with what seemed to be mild annoyance.

"Would you mind explain what's going on here?" Keller said with a huff.

Ironhide picked the two humans up carefully, heading to the rec room explaining what had happened along the way.

* * *

Haphazard stared at the roof blankly, trying to understand what had happened, had she been shot? 

She began running through her memories but the last recorded one was of being in the cubby-hole in Ironhide's quarters.

It was those blank patches again, sections of memories that no matter what she did she couldn't access, it was almost like trying to hold liquids in an open hand it just slipped away, disappearing again.

She groaned as Ratchet nudged aside a circuit board.

"That's what you get for damaging your shoulder twice in the last orn."

She frowned; she hated these blank patches more than anything else, more than not knowing who her creators were or the Decepticons.

"Alright you may sit up now," he said softly as he unbound her torso and arms. She stretched forward slowly reaching to unbind her legs.

"Did Ironhide shoot me?"

Ratchet frowned about to reply when an explosion rocked the base.

"WHEELJACK!!" She winced when his yell reverberated off the walls and rang in her audios; she went to follow him when he turned on her.

"Stay here and set up the berth in the corner, do not leave this med bay." She stood bewildered for a moment when he ran off. Ratchet reappeared a second later and yelled "NOW!"

Haphazard jumped out of her frozen state and scrambled over to the med berth.

* * *

Ratchet ran down to the 4th level, expecting debris and smoke form Wheeljack's lab,. Reaching the door he punched in the access code and ran in as soon as the door opened enough for him to fit. 

He skidded to a halt, unsure of what to do.

Wheeljack sat at the table soldering on a small chip, not much larger than the hand of the human scientist that gave Wheeljack a questioning look as he worked on it.

Ratchet looked at the them; there was no smoke, no half melted Wheeljack, no debris and no evidence of a recent explosion in the room.

Alarms flared to life and more explosions followed.

"What Ratchet?" Wheeljack stumbled over his words as another explosion rocked the base. "Well, it wasn't me this time."

"Wheeljack, find Hazard and take her with the humans to the brig, make sure they're safe." Optimus commanded over a private frequency.

Wheeljack stood quickly.

"Stay here for a breem, I'll be back." The human nodded dumbly and watched as the two robots raced out of the room.

"**Ratchet have you seen Hazard?**"

"**She is setting up the med bay.**" Wheeljack nodded and transformed, wheels squealing for purchase on the smooth metal as he headed up the ramps towards the towards the med bay.

* * *

Optimus growled; _how had the 'Cons found the base?_ he wondered as he sidestepped a shot from Dirge. Ironhide was dealing with a repaired Blackout, dodging rotor blades and plasma blasts and Sunstreaker was busy with Deadend and Dragstrip, as Sideswipe fought against Barricade. 

Jet engines roared overhead and Optimus growled. Pulling out his rifle and taking aim, he clipped the wing of the nearest jet.

Blade out as he advanced on the fallen plane, Dirge pulled himself up in his bipedal mode, a smoking and sparking hole in his wing.

"Call a retreat now." Optimus advanced on Dirge, the jet fired at him and he dodged the shot.

"Go suck slag, Autobot." Dirge snarled and moved out of the way of a downswing from the blade. Optimus was thrown back by several shots that caught him in the shoulder as Ramjet passed overhead.

A blue blur flashed past him, slamming into Dirge. The blur snarled and its arm flashed back before half of its glowing claws sunk into his chest plates, curling and pulling.

The howl from Dirge echoed in the area, making them tense. Ramjet landed with a heavy thump as he transformed to sprint over to his brother to help, but Optimus grabbed a wing and hauled him back. He shrieked, the wing bent and finger shaped dents had formed as the seeker was thrown roughly back.

Haphazard detangled herself from the damaged Decepticon, growling. _She really did hate Dirge_, she decided, as she plunged her claws into his midsection to shred wires; she felt part of her spark twist in pleasure and she winced.

_It was enjoying this too much_, she thought. Pulling the claws out she stumbled back, spark pounding and dark points creeping into her processors again.

Dirge pulled himself up slower than normal, only to be shot down by a stray blast from Blackout.

She started to pull back, fighting the urge to tear away the cockpit and sink her claws into his spark casing, but that spot egged her on, saying that she would win, she was the best, after all she was part of him.

She grasped at her helmet, shaking her head roughly as she backed up towards the base; it was only a few meters away, if she could get back she would be fine she could lock herself up, yes that was the plan.

89

Dirge lay shuddering on the ground, he was told those claws could do damage but he hadn't expected that much, they had sunk into his armor like it was fluid.

That memory replayed:

'_Do not let her sink her claws in' Triage hissed as the plan was run over one final time. _

'_Why not it's not like they can do much damage.' Triage let out a high-pitched laugh that made most of them wince at the volume._

'_Those will rip through armor like it's tin.' Ramjet flinched, his imagination running away with him._

_Blackout was glaring at the much smaller medic. It was bad enough they had to distract the Autobots to get the useless little femme, only Barricade seemed to have any inkling on what was truly going on._

'_Surely you are exaggerating.' Blackout rumbled at the medic. Triage glared up at the much larger Decepticon, malice dripped form his voice as he spoke. _

'_I designed her; those claws have high-powered surgical lasers along their edges, they will tear through armor.' _

Dirge had screamed as she sunk the claws into his midsection, twisting and slicing components, ripping through fuel lines and wrapping around a support strut.

Suddenly they withdrew and she started to back up clutching at her head.

Optimus threw a severely wounded Ramjet onto his brother, turning to assess the other battles; Blackout was becoming highly sluggish after taking more hits from Ironhide,

Dragstrip was out of action and Barricade wasn't in much better shape as he sped off, dragging Deadend with him.

Deadend was being pummelled by a frenzied Sunstreaker as his brother tried to pull him back.

A pulse blast from Blackout flattened them to the ground, knocking them all temporarily offline.

Optimus awoke with a groan the Decepticons had disappeared and the human were out here.

He started towards Haphazard as she crouched down seemingly confused,

She looked up as he approached and she croaked out,

"Sorry I think I got carried away with Dirge." The air around her shifted and thick arms wrapped around her and Skywarp grinned at him before warping away.

Everyone could hear the recorded voice as it laughed out,

"Have fun Prime, we have what we need."


	9. Distance

-1

Optimus groaned as his comm link was flooded by the Autobots on base; he shut each node off one by one until the final one was Ratchet. He tried to shut this one down but the CMO codes over-rode his own.

"Prime Open the fragging door now!"

Optimus groaned as Ratchet's voice snarled over the link; he ignored the repeated demand for 2 klicks before the door unlocked itself.

"Optimus you've known something from the moment she landed."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Optimus turned his attention to a data pad, ignoring the CMO until something struck him in the head; it plinked as it bounced off his helmet and rolled along the floor. Ratchet had thrown the object at him rather hard and it was scooped up by the CMO quickly before Optimus could retaliate.

"This was in Hazard," he growled, placing the object on the table.

Optimus did a double- take and yelped out, "You _removed_ her spark casing!"

"No I removed this, a second casing." Optimus paused as he reached for the casing.

Ratchet held it out of his reach one eye ridge cocked. "Tell me what you know and I may let you see it." Optimus turned back to the data pad as Ratchet turned the spark casing in his hand; it flashed in the harsh lighting of Prime's office. "It's rather strange that it has the same markings as Megatron's." Ratchet watched as Optimus' head snapped up with narrowed optics and a glare.

"Trying to goad me into a response won't work." Ratchet rose with a shrug.

"Then you're not bothered that it has three times the normal levels of dark matter."

Optimus practically vaulted over his desk and blocked Ratchet. "Maybe we do need to discuss this."

Ratchet gave a nod as Optimus forcefully closed the door, forgetting entirely about it being automated. "Tell me what you know."

"I only have a theory but the pieces I have so far fit." Optimus murmured as he turned sitting at his desk again.

"As do I. It may be beneficial to your theory that Triage's designation is Sidetrack."

Optimus squeezed the data pad, making it crack and fizzled as he slowly crushed the pieces.

"Sidetrack came to Megatron and me privately with a proposal to create drones, sparked drones fully controlled buy the original spark." he stopped crushing the tablet and swept the tiny pieces into a bin.

"Sparked drones are heresy; he knew that and the consequence on the first spark are tremendous."

With a weary glance at Ratchet, Optimus continued. "Sidetrack found that by siphoning the spark off while the host spark and the new drones body were off line it could create a duplicate of the spark, awaken both of them in sync while connected made the spark believe it was an extension of the body."

"The back lash would be enough to fry a large majority of the systems; I've seen it kill those who split their sparks." 

"Apparently that backlash is used to bring other systems online."

Ratchet snorted, fiddling with one of the wires on the casing. "Highly unlikely, even Wheeljack couldn't figure out a way round it." 

"I agree and after his explanation of the drones and their capability I refused to allow the research and creation of sparked drones to go ahead."

"And how did Megatron perceive this?" Optimus locked optics with Ratchet motioning for him to pass over the spark casing.

Optimus turned it over in his hand, running his finger tips over the engraved runes. He looked at the expert crafting that was placed into the casing, feeling the light thrum of the dark matter as it slowly drew in energy, spinning the energy already within it.

"He created or attempted to create Haphazard in this method; something went wrong in the process." Optimus murmered still caressing the empty casing

Ratchet had frozen the whirr of his processor could be heard in the silent in the room, it was a breem before he spoke to Optimus again, his voice quiet and somewhat pained. "It was the connection."

Optimus' head snapped up his eye ridge twitching into a frown, optics narrowing at the medic. "And you know this how?"

"I located an encrypted file in her memory banks dated more than a vorn before any of the others; I made a copy and decoded it." 

Optimus was looking carefully at Ratchet; how had he perceived the news of Haphazard's creator. "She is under circumstances not of her own making Ratchet, there is no reason to treat her differently."

"See if the others take it so lightly," he muttered. Optimus could only nod.

Decepticon base

Triage shuffled impatiently as he waited for Skywarp, he grumbled at the state of the mechs as they were transported in by Blackout – Dead End was starting to live up to his name, ripped wires and dark sooty patterns adorned his armour with the mech in stasis lock.

Dirge and Ramjet were both stable, the worst of the damage having been repaired but there were parts that would be needed. The rumbling whine of turbines signalled the jets appearance and the violent cursing snarls that followed made him flinch.

"Skywarp I told you to keep that filthy vocalizer of yours QUIET!" Triage snapped as he moved into the hanger.

It became apparent that Skywarp wasn't swearing, he was struggling to keep a hold on the enraged femme as she thrashed in his arms. Skywarp's vocalizer let off a static screech as claws sunk into his arms, curling under the armor and sinking into a cable.

"I don't remember her being like this," Skywarp snapped.

Triage moved close trying to examine her before she turned on him snarling incoherently and kicked at his chest, coming an inch short. Components began rattling and her vocal processor had hitched higher.

"Put me down!" she growled, thrashing harder against her restraints, claws ripping at his arm again.

"Hold her still Skywarp." Triage hissed as he moved close, scans flickering over her as she curled trying to hide from the invasive scans.

"Bring her into the Lab."

Haphazard let out a scream rattling their audios making Triage flinch and Skywarp's arms to tighten round her enough to dent her armor. She twisted as her lower arm transformed and fired. It caught the wide Decepticon in the side ripping through his armor and burning her back as it rebounded. Skywarp dropped her with a groan and a hiss, hitting the floor with a thump. Haphazard scrambled away, darting round Triage and heading out the door.

Triage raced after her, trying to keep up with the panicking femme as she twisted round a corner, skidding and transforming into her alt mode as she pressed her speed putting more distance between herself and her pursuer.

He hissed angrily as he turned a corner, she had transformed again diving around Blackout and into the hanger. Moving to the sealed doors, she began imputing codes into a command console. The doors began to part, protesting as they moved further apart.

"STOP HER, STOP HER!"

"You were the one insisting on using old codes," Blackout snapped as he started after her, she scraped her way between the doors dropping out of view with a shriek.

The bay door finished retracting with a thump, Blackout moved to the edged and looked down the steep mountain side. The femme clung to the rock face still shaking

"You should know by now Starsong that our bases are designed for flyers." He said enjoying leaving her hanging.

"Like I care you, fragging, two-bit processing glitch mouse!"

Blackout growled as he crouched down and glared at the femme. She glanced around, examining the cliff face before moving a foot to the left and slipping slightly, given how steep the mountain side was with the jagged rocks, anything going down at speed would be pulverized.

"Sadly I can't just shoot you." He reached down and grabbed her by the shoulder, annoyed she was still within his reach; he would rather have seen her rolling down the side of the mountain to be nothing more than scrap metal and smeared energon.

She twisted and he squeezed her shoulder as a warning. Blackout wrapped his massive hand around her making sure she couldn't escape, she growled, twisting slightly and winced as Blackout squeezed her tighter. Triage stood in front of her glaring, the crests on his helmet flattened in annoyance as she snarled.

"Just let me go, I'm not of any use to you!"

"On the contrary, you have several things I need." She shook her head as Triage beckoned for her to be lowered. Blackout complied, lowering her to the optic level of the medic. Triage reached up to her neck, forcing her chin up and one of the plates aside, she tried to wrench her head out of his grasp even as his claws curled in one of her vents.

"This can come out." He disconnected her vocal processor and removed it. Haphazard glared at him twisting and attempting to bite him, Triage curled his claws in the base of her jaw holding her head still.

"You really need to behave yourself." he forced her face mask on and soldered it into place as she twitched, trying to pull away.

Autobot base

Ironhide twisted firing the cannons at the target, annihilating them in moments before ripping the arm off a drone and slinging it across the room.

"If you shred anymore Hatchet's gonna have your hide." Ironhide didn't turn, merely pulled another drone apart before turning and throwing it at the intruder.

Sideswipe ducked out of the way. Ironhide wasn't really trying to hit him at the moment, just trying to vent frustrations and anger

"What ah want to know is how Blackout came back and how he made such a pulse wave."

Ratchet entered watching Ironhide pulverize the drones, ripping, shredding and making the few drones they had into barely functional spare parts.

"If I find out I'll tell you," Sideswipe said as he ducked a flying head. "Have you seen Prime yet?"

Ironhide shrugged aiming his cannon at the pile of parts. He charged it and fired, watching pieces fly about the room. He started to pick of the pieces as they fell, the tiny controlled plasma bursts flaring as they struck.

"Prime is probably sulking in his office."

Ratchets brows rose as he stood beside Sideswipe, making a gesture for the mech to be silent. Sideswipe grinned he had an inkling of what the medic was planning.

"I don't believe I am sulking, Ironhide." Ratchet hissed with a rather good imitation of Optimus.

Ironhide jumped and whirled round to glare at Ratchet, as he folded the cannons away.

"Ya know I hate it when ya do that."

Ratchet shrugged, as he noted the tension in Ironhide.

"It wasn't your fault." Ratchet stated dully as Ironhide let out a noncommittal grunt heading to the door.

"Where is Prime anyway?" Sideswipe asked as he moved aside for Ironhide.

"He's in the control room." Sunstreaker grumbled as he entered the training room. "He kicked me out."

Decepticons base

Haphazard kicked the wall in frustration, unable to scream or protest at being kidnapped and locked up. Pacing she glared at a smug Barricade as he watched her, his optics following each movement she made. '_I have to find a way out, but how?' _She turned her back to him sitting on the floor glaring at the wall. '_Wonder if he'll try to stab me in the back' _she grinned to herself mentally. If she annoyed him enough he would attack her then Triage would hurt him. She began tapping her armor and glanced over her shoulder to see him flinch with each ping that echoed in the enclosed space.

Nearly an hour later she flinched when the high pitched whine of a cannon charging was heard behind her, Blackout was twitching as she tapped her armor having entered the room while she was ignoring and annoying Barricade.

"Stop it." She continued facing the wall, ignoring the cannon; getting shot was better than sitting here board out of her processor. She scooted forward so she was closer to the bench and continued to tap, a low yield plasma burst hit the wall a scant 2 millimetres above her head and exploded outwards.

"I TOLD YOU TO STOP!!"

Haphazard glared over her shoulder and brushed off the small amount of debris on her form; the concrete and metal was still mostly intact but was slightly warped with a small hole in it.

Pulling out her claws, she would have growled if she was able. Triage had deactivated her weaponry and removed her sword but at least hehad left the claws. Dragging them across the concrete sent a horrid shrieking noise through the audios, making both of the mechs behind her shudder and wince. She grinned as sparks jumped and bounced from her claws.

A plasma burst slammed into her back, sending her into the wall, it hurt but much to her annoyance it didn't cause enough damage to actual warrant the attention of Triage. She twisted and winced as the plates on her back protested, the paint was scorched and the plating looked warped.

"If you so much as move, I will send you to the pits!" Blackout snarled at her. She moved slowly to the bench sitting straight so her self repair systems could fix the damage.

'If only you would - even the pits would be better than this boring place.' She glared at Blackout as Barricade left the containment area, with the Pave low remaining as the guard.

Autobot base

Ratchet sighed as he stretched out on the couch in the rec room, making himself comfortable he watched as the humans half yelled at each other, seemingly unaware of the Autobot on the couch.

"I'm telling you it's not possible!" The scientist yelled.

"They're giant advanced alien robots; it's possible!" Lennox yelled back.

"Yes and I have to explain to Prime that the body is missing." Keller said.

"Didn't you already try that?" Eeps said.

"Yeah he did and I don't think we should tell him when he looks like he's going to do a Mecha-Godzilla impression." Lennox commented.

"Tell the medic or someone," one of the other soldiers suggested as he took a swig from his cup.

Ratchet let himself relax, feeling some of the tension slide away from his cables. He heard the footsteps of the approaching humans

"Are you sure you want to disturb him?"

"Well they have to know. Who knows what can be done with the body," Keller hissed.

"And whose body is missing?" Ratchet questioned without leaving his relaxed position even as his spark tensed and thrummed almost painfully in its casing.

"Megatron's body has been dredged up from the Laurentian Abyss; a pair of tankers with collection equipment were spotted on satellite then disappeared."

"And you have no idea where they went?" Ratchet held back a sigh as he sat up.

"None," the man at the table said as he received glares from the other men.

"I will inform Optimus of this." The humans scattered when he gingerly placed a foot down; his sensors informed him none of the humans were close enough to be stepped on as he stood.

He ambled up the ramps to the communications room; he entered to find Optimus furiously in putting data into the computers with several windows open as he trawled trough several data bases. Power usage for different areas in the states was displayed along with 3 weeks worth of military satellite observation.

"Optimus, Secretary Keller has informed me that Megatron has been removed from the Laurentien Abyss."

Optimus seemed to be ignoring him, still going over the data. "I'm already aware of that Ratchet," Optimus said as he moved through more of the windows, humming at the energy usage in Wyoming near the Grand Teton Mountain.

"And you didn't fell the need to inform us?"

"When I became aware of his removal, there was no viable way to restore Megatron."

"And that is why they wanted Hazard?" Optimus nodded, neither of them noticed Sunstreaker standing tensed in the doorway, optics dark as he listened to the conversation. He moved back silently and crept out of audio range of his commanders to find his brother and Ironhide.

Optimus turned at the sound of tiny clicking heels on the metal floors; he looked down the one of the scientists. The man shifted nervously for a moment before he tried to speak. He choked back the words before he squeaked out "I am unable to find Wheeljack." He looked about ready to bolt out of the room.

Ratchet knelt and let the man clamber into his hand. "I will help you locate him." The scientist nodded furiously before settling down. They headed back down to the 4th level and knocked on the door to his lab, there was a muffled Cybertronian curse and orders to leave.

"**Wheeljack one of the scientists needs to speak with you.**"

"**I'm rather busy.**" Ratchet's optic ridge rose, this was rather odd behaviour for the mech.

"I need to speak to Wheeljack privately first, I will call out once he is available."

The scientist nodded and scampered off once his feet were back on the floor. Ratchet entered an override code on the door and cringed when he entered; his sensors were flooded with the smell of dried energon and coolants.

His optics adjusted quickly to the dull lighting and the messy lab, before he spotted Wheeljack slouched in a chair, small amounts of energon pooled on the floor in a dried state. Ratchet glared at the sheepish Wheeljack as he pulled himself up straighter.

"What in the name of Primus happened to you?"

"I tried to stop Hazard from going onto the battlefield," he said lightly. Ratchet shook his head at the hastily welded claw marks in his chest armor and what looked to be a clamped energon line in his bicep.

"And you didn't think to see me!" Ratchet hissed as Wheeljack let out a nervous laugh.

"Well I was almost finished with her targeting systems and I did impede the energon flow."

Ratchet shook his head at him, pulling tools from subspace. "So why did she attack you?"

Wheeljack gave a half shrug and winced as one of his cables gave a groan. "I tried to drag her from the med bay and she began yelling that she had to protect Megatron." Ratchet didn't say anything as he smoothed the rents in the armor. "Ratchet, what are you keeping secret about Hazard? The way she acted was almost if she was a drone with a spark."

Ratchet felt almost relieved as Wheeljack gave the perfect description of the femme, but then he was a leading engineer in the creation of drones. "That is exactly the case."

Wheeljack tensed and split one of the welds causing him to hiss loudly. "She's a sparked drone!"

Ratchet nodded. "She is one of Sidetrack's experiments." Ratchet stopped Wheeljack from jumping up and breaking the fresh welds.

"I knew he had a mean streak but that makes Megatron seem a Primus given gift!"

Ratchet nodded his agreement, looking over the final welds as he grasped Wheeljack's arm and pulled him to his feet. Looking at Wheeljack leaning on his right leg Ratchets optics narrowed. "Med bay now 'jack." Wheeljack let out a dramatic sigh and was cuffed by the annoyed medic "And next time comm me."


	10. Turmoil

_I'm so sorry for the delays, its been madness reciently with both the weather and the annoying muses_

_Well here is the next chapter and the again I give thanks for the wonderfull Beta and her glorious tallents.(any further mistakes are mine alone ) _

_And now onto the waiting chapter. _

_Just a bit of a warning there is nastyness in this chapter (abuse) but not much else that I can think of at the moment._

* * *

**_Fractures _**

**_Turmoil _**

Triage snarled as he threw tools around the room, crests flaring and retracting in rage.

His claws came down on the chest plates of the already injured femme before he yanked a cluster of wires, watching as she curled up in pain.

"What did you do with the second casing?!" he snarled even though she couldn't answer; his claws left her chest and slammed across her faceplates.

Haphazard could do little but curl up on her side as both the physical and verbal assaults continued. She felt one of the armor plates on her side buckle as he slammed a wrench against her.

Her chest plates were already mangled and she had several warnings of low energon, but she struggled to stay online as a warning of stasis lock flashed in front of her optics.

He hit her with enough force to send her off the medical berth and onto the icy metal floor before Triage stalked out of the make shift medical centre. Haphazard could hear his muffled voice drift into the room as she fell into stasis lock.

"Barricade take her back to the containment area."

Barricade's optic ridges rose at the femme on the floor. Triage was meant to keep her alive not beat her within an inch of the Matrix.

He grumbled as he lifted her limp form onto the table and stretched her out, energon leaking slowly from the damaged line and collecting in puddles on the table.

With a grimace he began the tedious job of fixing the damage. Stopping the flow without igniting the lines meant finding the clamps and tools strewn around the small room.

"How easy it would be to kill you now youngling, but Lord Megatron will want you alive."

* * *

**Autobot base**

Sunstreaker shifted uncomfortably; Ironhide would have his skid plates if he caught him in here but maybe there would be some way to locate her.

He shifted slowly and carefully through the collection of odd objects in the top draw of her desk.

Coils of loose wire, screws, bolts, a memory chip, several of Wheeljack's missing tools, a model of the human skeleton, empty energon lines and the remains of his spare fuel pump.

A scratching on metal caught this attention as he pulled the drawer out and set it on the berth. Lifting up the small metal box hidden in the back he nearly dropped it when it vibrated in his hand and the metal shrieked again.

Sunstreaker frowned and scanned the box; it came back as filled with the mangled remains of a camera and abnormal energy readings. Opening the catches he lifted the edge of the lid. A tiny red light blinked at him before the contents of the box attempted to escape. It let out a metallic shriek and its claws scrabbled at the opening.

He slammed the lid on and flipped the locks back into place, as it fought against its containment, shrieking angrily.

He did a quick check of the hall before slinking off the see Wheeljack; what ever was in the box wanted out and Wheeljack should have a containment unit in his possession.

Wheeljack opened the lab door and frowned at the Lamborghini before the short metallic screech drew his attention to the box.

"If this is one of your pranks gone bad Sunstreaker, I am not distracting Ratchet while you dispose of it."

"This isn't a prank, its something I found and thought you might be interested in."

Wheeljack motioned for him to come in, turning the lights up. As he did so, Sunstreaker noted the pools of dried energon and items strewn around the lab.

"So what do you believe will garner my interest?" The box gave a off a hissing noise and a dent appeared in the side of the metal.

"Whatever's in the box wants out and I thought you'd have a containment field somewhere." Wheeljack moved to the storage cabinet in the corner, shuffled through it and came back with the cylindrical object.

"Let just hope it survives this time."

He set it on the table as it began to hum. Twisting the top an opening large enough for the cube appeared. Undoing the catches Sunstreaker flipped the box into the top, watching as the lid and its contents dropped into the tube as the cylinder expanded and the golden hued force field came into place.

A three and a half foot quadruped stood shakily for a moment, its 5 lenses spinning and whirling as they focused.

It scuttled round the edges letting off the shriek again; it hissed at Sunstreaker and awkwardly grasped the lid in its pointed claws waving it like a banner.

Wheeljack watched the creature for a few moments before turning to the curious Lamborghini.

"Where exactly did you find it?"

"In the box; so what exactly is this thing?" Wheeljack turned back to the containment unit where the bug like object scrambled around, unbalanced on its pointed spindly legs and toppling into the field. It let off an almost yelping sound before it lay twitching.

"A collection of spare and stolen parts, at least I know where the power cell I was missing went." Sunstreaker nodded.

"Yeah but what is it?"

"This, Sunstreaker, is an infiltration drone."

**

* * *

Decepticon base**

Haphazard twisted in her cell, her processors thrumming in pain. She was being moved around and shaken in the tiny space. As she tried to stand properly, she bounced against the walls, pain flaring in her shoulder and side as it stopped moving for several moments before she was flipped upside down into a bright chamber.

Haphazard stood, gaining stability before she lurched forward, her body moving against her will.

She flinched as she struck the edge of something. After her optics had refocused she prodded the shallow cube that was in front of her. She leaned back on her two back legs and picked it up awkwardly, waving in around before she toppled into the lights.

Haphazard jolted in the cell, coming back to her own processors and now wishing she wasn't in her own body; the pain was ripping through her systems with each tiny gear that moved.

She risked moving her head to look out of the cell, one optic was offline and the other wouldn't focus leaving her vision blurred and flickering.

Someone moved in the shadows in front of her. The dark armor and its energy field playing havoc with the few sensors that were barely functional.

Twisting slightly she tried to move back and stiffened as the pain in her chest spread through the rest of her systems sending spikes of pain to her already aching processors.

The shape moved closer, silent red glowing points flaring and dimming as it drew a glowing violet line out of the air and hooked in into the valve in her shoulder. Its optics trailed over her form before it knelt beside her.

Grey claws traversed over her body and the shadow gave an annoyed click. She shuddered as one claw trailed along her helmet and spine and stopped at her waist, before hooking a second glowing line into her chest and the pain receded slightly.

It rose and left the room, leaving her optics to try and focus as the glowing lines shed strange light over the confined space. She could make out the orange glow surrounding the bars of the cell, the edges of the metal and concrete.

Haphazard struggled to stay online as the energon from the line in her chest infiltrated her systems; it wasn't a bad feeling as it took off the edge of the pain but she didn't want to be offline in the Decepticon base.

She twitched as her systems finally sunk into recharge; she sent a silent prayer that she wouldn't wake up on the medical table in pain again.

Triage paced before the cell and occasionally glared at the recharging femme on the narrow berth. He wondered briefly if it was Barricade or one of the other Decepticons that had repaired her and hooked precious energon lines into her.

Still it was in his best interest that she was kept alive long enough that he could separate the sparks, but the missing casing was needed before he could do anything useful.

He watched as the femme twisted and the last of the energon drained from the line, leaving the tubes hanging as they disconnected from the valves.

Triage watched as she twitched, his sensors picking out the scrambling signals she was broadcasting.

He grinned, optics narrowing as a plan formed in his processors.

* * *

**AUTOBOT BASE**

Ratchet gazed at the drone, not believing his audio receptors when Wheeljack waltzed into the med bay with a containment field and announced that they had a drone.

With a grim look Ratchet opened the monitors and brought up a copy of Haphazard's core programming.

"And you're positive that Hazard created this?" Ratchet muttered as he watched the drone scuttle around, occasionally stopping to watch him before returning to its scuttling.

Wheeljack nodded as he traversed through core programming from the femme, copying segments and filing them aside, he highlighted sections and rearrange strips.

Sunstreaker continued to watch the miniature drone; it twitched and began to circle again.

"Why does it keep doing that?" Sunstreaker said when Wheeljack stopped for a moment.

"It's attempting to find an uplink to its master," Wheeljack said as the drone pushed the lid against the field, its head cocked as it observed the field thrust the object away.

"So it's trying to find Hazard?" Sunstreaker muttered strengthening the field; the drone hissed at him and began to circle again

"Exactly; if I can identify what type of drone she was meant to be, I can attempt to track the signal."

"And how hard is it to find out."

Wheeljack looked at the coding, running a digit along the projected codes humming as he considered Sunstreaker's question.

"It could take a while," he said as the drone looked up at him, its lenses spinning to focus on him. "The programming is so jumbled it's hard to tell one strain from another."

A high pitched pinging noise caught their as the golden field flared and the drone stopped to watch them.

Sunstreaker frowned at the drone as it did it again, the field flaring and flickering.

Ratchet turned on the drone glare as it tested the field again, the drone flinched backwards chattering annoyed at the medic

Sunstreaker left the room shaking his head, leaving the medic and scientist to their work.

The drone let of another soundwave, it reverberated and the containment field dropped, it made a mad dash for the edge of the table scrambling away from Ratchet.

It had no luck with escape as Ratchet snatched it up its head pinched between his thumb and forefinger

Wheeljack glanced over at Ratchet as he brought the drone up towards him optics the drone's legs thrashed around, examining its construction closely.

"Is it possible Hazard made more?" Ratchet questioned as he glanced up at the scientist

Wheeljack blinked at him surprised, confusion written in his optics before replying

"I wouldn't be surprised, why do you ask?"

"Out of curiosity" Ratchet commented

Wheeljack paused for a moment as a message made itself apparent to his, opening it he gave and amused private smirk as he could almost hear the indignant tone from Ratchet

"There is another drone riffling through _MY_ supplies!"

* * *

Anyone who can guess how many drone were created will get cookies!


	11. Facet

_Hello to every one and thanks for the reviews and guesses on number of drones, some were close other weren't but all will be revealed ... at some point _

_Again I give loads of praise VAwitch for her betaing of this series, she saves me from being chased to the Pits each time._

_Right now to the story _

_As normal I don't own transformer, probably never will._

_but on a happier not I will twist and bend any character for my own and the personal enjoyment of other._

* * *

**_Fractures _**

**_Chapter 11 - Facet_**

Triage deactivated the cell of the recharging femme, moving silently across the distance optics wide in his delight. She would be the most useful way to infiltrate the base; she twitched, curling tighter into a ball as her mangled armor creaked in protest.

He ran quick scans over her with a frown; he hadn't remembered doing so much damage to the femme when he learned of the missing casing. Tilting her head up he looked t the coarsely repaired coolant line in her throat and the frayed cables.

Adjusting her position he trailed his claws along her back searching for the plate that would open to reveal her connection ports,; his claws grazed the cover teasing the mechanism aside to find the appliance.

Triage let out an annoyed hiss as he glared at the port. It was damaged beyond use, half caved in and sparking. Closing the panel he turned her onto her back to find the ports in her chest also damaged.

"Blackout, come here and move the femme to the med bay."

Triage collected the femme in his arms, straining to lift and move her to the doorway. Blackout moved to the cell glaring at the femme. The mech crouched awkwardly and removed Haphazard from Triage's grip. He carried the femme over his arm, unbothered by the awkwardly positioned chest plates and the slow steady drip of energon.

Barricade glared as Triage entered followed by Blackout with the unconscious femme. Blackout dropped her rather roughly onto the medical berth, a sadistic smile appearing on his face as she bounced, making a half moan once she stilled.

"Strap her to the table; I need her to be still for this."

Blackout left the room as Barricade began securing her to the table; Triage caught the glares that Barricade was throwing his way.

"Concerned for her safety?" Triages hissed snidely at the science officer.

"I'm more concerned that the plan will fail."

"It will not. The margin for complication is barely 2, it will not fail." Barricade snorted at Triage's reply.

"The calculations were never your strong point; look what happened during her creation."

Barricade ducked out the way of an arc welder before snickering at the medic as Triage lifted up a wrench, waving it above his head threateningly.

"At least your master had good aim," Barricade chuckled as he left the med bay. "Be careful Triage, I doubt her processors are stable!" he callcalls back to the medic from the hallway.

Triage growled as he removed two small panels from the back of Haphazard's helm, exposing her main processor.

"Let's just see how many drones you created." He hissed and shuddered as he up-linked to her neural net, his optics shrinking and dimming as he began to slowly probe her processors.

* * *

AUTOBOT BASE 

Optimus blinked as he entered the med bay; it was partially destroyed with the normally neat shelves and tidy benches covered in spilt energon, bottles of sedatives and neural suppressants rolling around the floor.

He looked over to Ratchet as he throttled a long necked drone; a much smaller drone was suspended from the ceiling in a hogtied manner.

"What in the name of Primus happened in here?"

Ratchet looked up at Prime, shaking the drone at him before he turned back to it; the drone flailed its claws at him trying to scratch his armor. In one quick movement Ratchet had tied the claws up before plunking it down on the table. The drone made an escape attempt only to be magnetized to the table by the annoyed medic.

"Unicron-spawned drones is what happened to my med bay," Ratchet hissed.

Wheeljack turned from the coding with an amused glint in his optics.

"Actually it's Hazard-spawned drones that were faster moving than expected."

Ratchet threw a rude gesture at Wheeljack before a horrid scratching noise drew their attention to the floor. A crate was scraping along the floor seemingly of its own accord.

"Primus! Not another one." Ratchet kicked the crate over; a 4ft tripod drone froze in surprise and was quickly set on the magnetized table with its fellow.

Loud swearing caught their attention as Ironhide stomped into the med bay; he had a pair of drone by the legs as they struggled weakly to escape his grasp.

"Ratchet if yer gonna make medi-drones at least keep 'em in sight, they dismantled a rifle for spares."

"Should I start building cages?" Wheeljack questioned innocently from his position in front of the screens.

"These aren't yer drones Ratch?" The medic pinned Ironhide with a glare, motioning for the additional drones to be placed with the others.

"No they're not," he said with a huff before examining the two newest additions; they were larger and sturdier than their brothers.

The quadrupeds hunkered down on the front two arms and flexed their long fingered hand as they examined the tables and the box that kept it magnetized; the drones chattering amongst themselves. Wheeljack was rather suspicious as the two newest chattered to the tripod and the swan necked drone; pointing at the box the other drones nodded vigorously.

"I'd tie their arms Ratchet, they seem like miniatures of the twins."

Prime watched the drones; they glanced up at him before looking away. One of them made an attempt to swear at him, mimicking Ironhide's tone and pitch.

"Ah think ah might like these ones." Ironhide commented as it got out. "Slag."

Optimus caught the drone that was suspended from the ceiling watching the cupboards; he could see its tiny processors working on escaping from its prone position and getting into the cupboards.

"Ratchet I need to speak to you outside," he paused as the drones looked at him. "And you as well," he made a gesture for Ironhide to join him outside the med bay.

Ironhide looked at Prime curiously, thanking Primus that he was calm again. "I believe that the drones are looking for the casing," Optimus messaged the pair.

"Ah, what casin' Prime?" Ironhide responded, confused at the comment. Ratchet reached carefully into one of his holds, pulling on a square container and opened it. Ironhide lifted out the spark casing cautiously, examining it closely before handing it back to the medic.

"If the drones were aware that you had removed the casing it is logical that it is stored in the med bay."

"They seem too intelligent to be drones" Ratchet commented.

"Ah have ta agree with ya Ratchet; they tried to distract me to get away with the power cells." Ironhide said with a nod. "ah ain't seen a drone try to do that yet."

"Are you aware of her creator yet Ironhide?" Optimus questioned.

"All ah know is that Hazard an' Megatron are connected," he commented with a shrug.

"Megatron is her creator; she was meant to be some form of drone."

Ironhide let off a loud chain of expletives; they echoed down the hall and into the med bay, before several smaller chirped versions were emitted from the med bay. Ironhide swung a punch at the wall, creating a dent and a crunching noise from his hand. Ratchet sighed and grabbed Ironhide's wrist, checking over the dents in his knuckles and the damaged joint.

"Do we know if she was meant ta be a military or civilian drone?"

"I am unsure; Wheeljack is currently working on that problem," Ratchet said softly, sealing the stress fracture in the wrist joint.

"Knowing my brother she would be military."

"Ain't many drones that build different styles of drones in pairs."

Optimus blinked, surprised at Ironhide's statement and trying to look through the older mech's perspective on the drones. "What makes you believe she built them in pairs?"

"Ah'd grabbed the first little fragger when the second one came out from a wall panel an' went for the power cell."

All three mechs processed this and ran into the medbay. Ratchet let out a groan, Optimus covered his face with one massive palm and Ironhide laughed.

"Wheeljack, where are the drones?" The scientist didn't look away from the screens.

"On the table," came was the distracted reply.

"Turn around Wheeljack and tell me where the drones are," Optimus said politely. With a dramatic sigh, the scientist turned and looked at the table, his resonators flashing in embarrassment and surprise.

"Oh, um, well, they were on the table." Wheeljack muttered.

* * *

Decepticons 

Triage was thrown out of Haphazard's processor for the 3rd time in the last cycle; he didn't remember making her firewalls so strong nor did he remember there being so many fractured codes.

Standing and stretching the medic paced around the med bay, scratching at the orange paint work on his arm. Moving to a storage cabinet he shifted through the liquids in them; not one from his stores could be used in this and not one could be used to get inside the Autobots base.

He sat down behind the femme again, sinking back into her mind, moving slowly among the files until he found what he was looking for. He slowly shifted through the subconscious connections to her drones, noting each type she had created. Delight flashed in his optics as he found the pair he was searching for; the six-legged four-armed attack drones were recharging, hidden beneath the floor panels in her quarters.

The attack class drones shuddered as they were awakened by the master uplink; he commanded them to come out of their hiding spot. Her firewalls flared and forced him out of her processor again, as a low monotone laugh followed him to his own processors.

Barricade watched as the medic was forced out of the femme's processor again; one would like to believe that Triage, trained by one of the finest medics in their race's history, would be intelligent enough to realise diving into her processor constantly wouldn't work.

He watched the medic become frustrated over the next cycle, throwing items around the room like a spoiled sparkling. After the seventh time of being forced out of her processor the medic started to cackle. Triage changed the position of the medical berth, exposing the neck of the femme as he began to remove its armor; he exposed the main sensory line and slowly separated the wiring to find a cable connecting to the interface port.

Barricade stalked into the med bay as the medic cut into the line; the femme twitched and he noticed her optics flash red.

"If you can't access her uplink via the main processor how do you expect to use an interface cable?"

"Link through this and break the firewalls, what else?"

Barricade let out a snort as the medic's claws curled round the wire and he spliced the interface cable from his wrist into her own. Triage tensed as he connected into her processor again. Fractured codes flickered in his view and suddenly her consciousness was glaring at him, spark aura pulsing wildly in anger as her consciousness moved towards him. It pushed him away before a second, darker consciousness moved towards him, enveloping Haphazard's it pushed hers away and snarled at him.

"Find another way Sidetrack!"

Triage shook his head, glaring at the other consciousness; the dark tendrils gripped his mind, strangling him and draining information from his CPU. Triage felt it move into his core programming, pull out and move on. It hurt having so much information ripped from his processor. He began to seize, warnings flashing as he tried to pull out. The dark mar in her mind turned back to him, a vicious grin seemingly in his mind before it spoke again.

"Her mind is mine alone Sidetrack."

Barricade pulled the glitching medic away from the femme as energy arched over her from before she twitched slightly and went back into recharge. The medic continued to twitch and glitch on the ground before he finally stopped.

"I have to find another way," Triage croaked out as Barricade glared at him in disgust.

* * *

_**Hope you enjoyed it**_


	12. Trail

_Haha so here is the next one for every one's enjoyment _

_Thanks to every one who has reviewed it helps alot and more thanks to the brilliance of VAwitch and her betaing skills _

_so onwards to the fic as I'm sure nobody acutually reads this _

_Disclaim: I don't own transformers_

* * *

**_Fractures_**

**_Chapter 12 - Trail _**

Triage scurried down the hallways to the meeting room, still twitching from the assault on his processors and somehow he doubted he would ever stop twitching. The few Decepticons needed for this new plan were gathered in the meeting room; the tension in the room seemed to clog their vents like transmetal and ashes, making them hiss.

Blackout paced around the small room, forcing Skywarp to press against the wall to avoid the rotor blades as they swung closer to his legs.

"Explain to me, medic, why the femme and that spark casing is so important."

Triage growled at him, annoyed by the mech's pacing as he passed by again.

"You of all mechs should know that spark casings are unique to each mech and nearly impossible to duplicate." Blackout nodded.

"The spark casing we understand but why the femme?" Skywarp grumped looking over the scars on his arm.

"Because she is more important than you, slagger, and it is none of your concern."

"We can always refuse to assist you; personally I don't think you're fit to command."

Triage turned on Skywarp, optics flashing in rage as he levelled a gun at him; the Seeker looked at the small mech and laughed at him.

"Barely bigger than the femme and you expect us to be frightened!"

"I expect you to be obedient!" Triage screeched. He was abruptly held upside down by Blackout as the larger mech held his ankle pinched between his blunt fingers.

"You're nothing more than a glitch mouse and I'm sure Lord Megatron will dispose of you fittingly once you resurrect him."

"I am more important that you, grunt!" Blackout shook him around before dropping the rattling mech from his grasp.

"A _grunt_ is more useful than a scientist without two bytes to calculate." Blackout hissed at Triage, his foot coming down bare millimetres from the medic's head as he stomped out of the room.

Skywarp snickered at the medic as Triage stood shakily, wobbling about for a moment before trudging off back to the med bay; all semblance of a meeting was forgotten after the spat. He passed by and kicked the medic over on his way to the hanger bay.

"Oh dear, clumsy me; us _larger _mechs should really watch our step."

* * *

Autobot base 

Bumblebee shifted out of his vehicle mode and picked up his charge. Sam adjusted himself to be comfortable on his guardian's shoulder, thankful to be out the way of gigantic feet and lunatic Lamborghinis. Bumblebee couldn't help but have a confused expression at the silent hallways, before moving to the med bay. His optics shot up at the destruction inside.

"Looks like something exploded in here," Sam stated, looking at the dripping concoctions on the benches and the strewn items.

Bee could only nod in agreement as he edged away from the door and headed to the command centre.

Bumblebee stopped at the Cybertronian swearing in the command centre, it sounded like Ratchet and the Twins but he couldn't tell with the multiple voices that rose and fell in the hallways.

"**Little glitches destroyed my med bay **_**again**_" The clear-cut tone of Ratchet's voice rolled into the hallway, before the medic stormed out of the command centre with a smaller mechanical being held in his grasp. Its legs dangled uselessly as it was held in a pinched manner between thumb and forefinger.

Ratchet stopped in front of Bumblebee for a moment doing a quick scan of the mech.

"**At least you keep yourself in good repair," **Ratchet said with a nod.

Bumblebee looked at the small created in the medic grasp. "Did it really destroy the med bay?" Bumblebee asked as it squirmed. It began to ping and thrill pointing to Sam.

"That and its partners; seems Hazard was busy in her spare time." Ratchet glared at the drone and it quietened down, still looking at Sam.

"When I received reports from Optimus about drones in the base I was expecting something larger."

"Um, why's it looking at me like that?" Sam questioned as the drone looked at him closely, its lenses whirling to focus on him; it made a short series of repetitive sounds emitting click click ping several times before it stopped.

"Just curious about humans," Bumblebee said automatically. "Have they seen humans before?"

Ratchet gave a click and a shrug as he trudged to the medbay, giving the drone another shake when he got to the door way as he directed its attention to the destroyed medbay.

Optimus stepped out of the command centre with Sideswipe following him and gestured for Bumblebee to follow suit. Optimus paused when he reached his office, quickly scanning the hallway with a frown on his optic ridge before turning to Bee. "Take Sam to the recreations room." As Sam began to protest Optimus cut in, "I believe you will enjoy the games system more than reports in Cybertronian."

"Probably," Sam muttered with a shrug as Bumblebee gave a salute and turned, heading off the rec room. "Is Optimus being a bit weird or is it just me."

Bumblebee frowned, considering the best way to describe it.

"Weird is not the correct term, restless would be a more appropriate description."

"Right Optimus is restless. Bee, seeing the big-bot like that is weird."

Bumblebee nodded, about to reply when Wheeljack passed him at speed, the scientist cackling away happily and waving a data pad about.

"**I've sorted her core programming!" **Wheeljack stated as he turned back to Bee. "**I think I can track her!" **He turned, setting back on his course for Prime's office, humming delightedly.

Bumblebee skipped to the rec room with Sam clinging on to his armor.

"Bee, can you stop that please," Bee slowed slightly and stopped skipping. "What's got you all excited?"

"As I previously explained, Haphazard was kidnapped by the Decepticons." Sam nodded his understanding and Bumblebee continued. "Well Wheeljack believes he can track her."

"Oh cool; how?" Sam grabbed onto his guardian's faceplate when he shrugged.

"Not sure but whatever Wheeljack has in process it has to be possible."

Sam was deposited on the couch next to Lennox before Bumblebee disappeared out of the room rather quickly, leaving the group of men slightly confused.

"What's got him all worked up?" Lennox questioned as Sam pulled himself out of a depression.

"Wheeljack can track whatsits name… Haphazard .. why'd they call him that?"

"Him? Thought it was a chick, sounded like one at least," someone commented.

"Yeah Reeds it's a girl. Giant alien robots have girls," Lennox muttered.

"Not female in a biological sense," Sideswipe said as he entered the room, the red twin stretching out on the arm of the chair "It's all to do with the spark."

"Right; so they're not female yet you refer to them as female."

Sideswipe shrugged.

"We don't really have the distinction in Cybertronian, there wasn't really a need for it till the war began, it didn't matter what type of spark you had," Sideswipe said bitterly. "Didn't matter if your spark could split or not."

Lennox and Reeds both nodded, the room had become chilly once Haphazard was mentioned. Each of the 'Bots were edgy; it had even rubbed off on Bumblebee when he entered.

"So got any other games here?" Reeds questioned as he watched the scarlet robot shift into a calmer state, his armor Lennox noted had tightened when he was speaking on sparks now it slowly loosened, showing the more relaxed and jovial Sideswipe the men at base had become accustomed too.

"What kind of game are you looking for, thought you liked war games?"

Reeds shrugged

"Sometimes there too close to home." Sideswipe nodded as he brought the systems on the screen, flicking through several pages of scrolling text before he grinned

"You'll enjoy this one, it's more of a sparkling's game but it's not really serious. You get to run round the screen as different organic things and collect hidden objects."

Lennox raised a brow at the neon orange thing that ran around on the screen bouncing off multiple legs to scramble up the side of a skyscraper and poking at the edges of the building.

"Aren't your kids scared by this sort of thing?"

"Kae'uhrba? Nah you could buy those things as pets. They live off rust and algae sort of stuff and could always tell when the acid rains were coming."

"Those thing were pets?" Sam said startled slightly.

"Think of it as our version of a dog; they make great companions for sparklings; really protective and smart for an organic. They pick up the scent of ill intent faster than a turbofox can run."

"Right. So how big are those things?"

"Well, they could reach about 11ft tall at the shoulder. Sunstreaker had one that was about that height; we use to ride on its back before we got our upgrades. "

"You have really weird pets," Lennox commented as the Kae'uhrba latched onto the underside of a building opened its jaws and slathered the window with 3 tongues.

"I could say the same for humans; I better head up to see the boss man."

Sideswipe jumped off the couch and disappeared out the door.

"Would be kind of interesting to have one just to see it slobber on Trent," Sam commented.

"Yeah but imagine taking it for a run; you'd need a plane," Lennox said with a laugh. Reeds joined in laughing then started shuddering.

"But imagine the droppings."

* * *

Sideswipe slid into the crowded office, squeezing between his brother and Bumblebee. He patted the top of Bumblebee's head as the smaller bot glared at him. 

Optimus seemed to be the only one with any space as he brought up Wheeljack's findings.

"So you have successfully split the drone programming from the normal Cybertronian core programming," Optimus said as he looked at the gold text on the left and the pulsing red below. Wheeljack nodded and enlarged the red text, pulling out separate codes and placing them on the screen.

"It took me a few days but it's done. She was programmed as a unit D1KI45 U12E20 but really she's a S1RI5 U12 OM20!" Wheeljack said excitedly as he prodded the screen. There were blank looks in the optics of everyone but Wheeljack.

Ironhide glared at the scientist. "Wheeljack can ye explain in military what she is?"

"Hazard was programmed as an unsparked, intelligently pre-programmed independent military drone."

"An' this is going to help us how?" Ironhide growled. "I'd like the femme back here and in good repair in the next coupla' days if I can."

Wheeljack enlarged a single section of the screen.

"But Hazard is a sparked symbiotic military drone; intelligent and unlinked to Megatron as long as he's in 1200 miles of her."

"So if we find Megatron we can scrounge his processors for the uplink module?"

"No, no. It's easier than that Bee, we use Optimus."

Optimus jerked slightly as all optics in the room turned from the excited scientist to their Prime.

"Wheeljack, please elaborate how I can be used to locate Haphazard."

"Oooh that's simple really. Bar the wings and the exterior armor you have the exact same systems as Megatron. All I have to do is tap into your uplink module and search for her unique drone signature."

"And you know her signature?"

"Yes, it's hardwired into the programming here," he said, running a finger along the strand of coding. "So shall we get started now?"

They stopped as alerts began flashing on Optimus' screen. Pushing aside the programming was Blackout's signature flashing on the screen; the mech seemed to be using a search pattern, slowly but surely moving closer to the base before he stopped a few hundred meters from the entrance.

"Can I shoot him?" Sunstreaker asked, beating Ironhide to the question.

"Good, I can pulverize the slaggard," Ironhide growled at the same time. Optimus motioned for them to wait.

"We'll observe him first; if he does anything threatening we will capture him for interrogation."

Optimus opened the video feeds and frowned; Blackout was lowering a container?

He was lowering it slowly to make sure it didn't rock. He was even being careful with it as he stopped periodically before continuing.

"It's not threatening, but can I still shoot him?" Sunstreaker asked. Optimus ignored the insistent mech and watched as the shipping container was set down with a slight thunk. Blackout transformed and landed with a thump beside the container, then he moved around it and pulling out the rods from the corners. He tapped the top and waited; the mech didn't make a comment on this but transformed and left.

Bumblebee left without a word, moving silently out of the base and up to the container; Blackout had left quickly, moving from his sensor range and into the east.

Moving cautiously to the container he attempted to runs scans over it and found it was stopped by the metals; nudging it with the end of his foot it didn't do anything.

Bumblebee shifted to stand over the large container. Reaching down he undid the latches and opened the door, jumping away expecting some sort of booby trap.

Edging round the front Bumblebee jumped back in surprise.

"Optimus, Ratchet you need to get here now!" he called over the comm in a panicked voice.

"Bumblebee?" Ratchet called back confused "What's wrong?"

"It's Hazard; she's in the container and she's hurt badly."

The comm went dead and Bumblebee moved closer cautiously looking at the horror inside.

Fluids were smeared over the walls of the container; pale coolants, glittering energon and dark marks of oils and lubricants. Her form was stuffed inside and twisted at such odd angles it barely resembled a Transformer's.

Its was the top of her head and the now dull blue paint that allowed him to recognize her. Bee backed away shuddering, unable to understand the true cruelty that the Decepticons had bestowed upon the unfortunate femme.

Ratchet moved to crouch in front of the container, scanned her and shuddered himself; the medic stood slowly and began to cut away the top of the container.

Optimus moved beside him, making sure to keep away from the laser tool. He peeled off the top of the container and felt his fuel pumps constrict and his spark shudder in fear. She barely resembled herself anymore; she was a mass of twisted metals, leaking fluids and exposed spark.

"Can you do anything Ratchet?" Optimus questioned as Ratchet slowly collected her in his arms as best he could.

"I don't know," he whispered, despair evident in his voice as his optics moved and scanned over her twisted form.

* * *

hides under desk 'Eep don't hurt me! blame Triage!' 


	13. Broken

Hello again, here I have thenext installment for everyones enjoyment.

I'll endevor to update atleast once a week and earlier is I'm able

disclaimer:Ladeda I don't own transformers but I will play with the charaters if I feel like it ;)

* * *

**_Fractures _**

**Broken**

Ratchet looked over Haphazard fearfully as he scanned her again, her spark flickered dangerously close to extinguishing and her vital system barely functioned.

Touching the side of her face one optic flickered on then went dark again, a small recognition that the higher levels of her processors were functioning.

He's straightened her upper chassis out as much as possible but even as he continued to scan her they left little doubt that repair were impossible, the majority of her left side was little more that scrap metal and everything form the waist down was beyond repair.

He removed tools and set to removing the remains of her right arm, readjusting the support struts he sliced into the crushed joint carefully removing the metal and set it aside in a bin.

There was a small tap on the door of the surgery, Ratchet considered sending the mech away but murmured for them to enter.

Ironhide entered trying to avoid looking at the barely functioning femme

"We got word some of ours have entered the edge of the system."

Ratchet merely nodded finishing with the arm he set it aside in a second bin, with little to salvage in this part.

After a tense bream of the medic working, Ironhide finally surveyed the damage properly, looking at the claw markings on her right side, the long narrow marks moved in an arched pattern

"They're not from Barricade."

"ah didn't say they were." Ironhide said as he shifted his gaze form the spark braking sight to look at the grim faced medic

"But you were tallying which Decepticons are on earth and which have claws."

"He's the only one with claws."

"They were made with long narrow claws, Barricade are wider than these."

"If ye say so, ah just don't see why they did it." Ironhide said softly "They went to the trouble ah getting her alive and undamaged."

Ratchet gave a short shrug as he moved onto her other arm, his tools moved to the lower arm tracing over more marks in the small amount of armor that was there.

He let out a small sound of anger at the burns on the protoform beneath, acid trails marred the reddish bronzed of the denser top layer before biting into the softer silver below.

Ironhides head snapped up to the roof as movements caught his optics, tiny bright optics looked down from a side panel that was nudged aside and its tiny hands curled round the edge of the tile.

It let of a sad churr before it disappeared, the panels slid back into place silently and the faint clicking of metal on metal caught their audios.

"So we gonna do anything bout em?"

"If Optimus wants them captured they I will endeavour to do so."

More clicking in the roof drew their attention again as the tile was moved aside, Ironhide shook his head in disbelief as drones lowered down an arc welder swinging it in front of Ratchet one of them clicked at him and gave its cord a shake.

He looked up at the drones, the trusting confidence in their optic warmed his spark as he took the arc welder and the drones scuttled out of sight.

"Somehow we need to assess what type of drone she has created."

Ironhide gave a short nod looking at the cords before coiling them in his hand

"Ah think I'll return this ta Will before he wonders where his primercord went."

Ratchet nodded as Ironhide left, his CPU running calculations on her survival rate as time dragged on and her spark dimmed.

* * *

Sideswipe watched as Bumblebee stared at the screen his optics unfocused as the other mechs in the room looked on concerned, he'd just been sitting in the rec room for a day already.

"**Little Bee?****"**he called in soft Cybertronian , Bumblebee continued to stare at the screen even as Sunstreaker shut it off, Wheeljack moved over to him and nudged his shoulder Bee looked up at him with a slight frown

"**What's wrong Bee, I haven****'****t seen you act like this in vorns.****"**Wheeljack commented as he stood behind the mech, Bumblebee twisted to look at him for a moment before turning back to the dark screen

"**It just seems so ****…****wrong, going to the trouble to kidnap her sending her back injured, but needing her to bring back Megatron.**" Sunstreaker nodded in agreement flicking a basked ball to bounce round the room

"**I thought the spark casing thing was weirder,****"**Sideswipe said catching the ball and flicking it on again "**her drones are after it?****"** the other shrugged and turned to look at the confused human, their own fuel and conversations forgotten as they gazed at the group of Autobots

"You know that sounded gloomy." Will said as he looked over to Bumblebee the mechs sunnier disposition seemed to be returning, a rather sudden look of concern appeared on Bumblebees face as he scanned around the room

"Where's Sam?" the men jumped at the scratchy tone in the camaro's vocal processor

"He was here," one man commented "well he was 5 minuets ago."

Sideswipe shook his head and logged into the terminal in the corner, going over the security camera for the past breem.

It flashed on screen in the intricate glyphs, no data and system error scrolled down the screen before more text appeared. Sideswipe opened the log to just before the cameras were dissable and frowned at the text

'system error remote access terminated'

Sunstreaker had moved beside him frowning as well, remote access was for hackers and commanders, this had neither signature one it.

"I get the feeling Hazard made those drone too intelligent." Sideswipe commented as another remote access flashed on the logs before disappearing, this time on the hallway just outside the medbay

"Well that explains why we can't find out where they hide." Wheeljack said as he moved beside the mech, looking at the logs "They just erase themselves form the feeds."

"But that doesn't help me find Sam!" Bumblebee groaned at the now absorbed mechs.

* * *

Else where on base

Sam stretched out as he woke form his nap, eyes blinking in the dim light of the room before he bolted to his feet as he came to the realization he wasn't in the rec room anymore.

Slowly the lighting increased and he became aware of the crowds of drones, every lenses and optic in the room was trained on him spinning and whirling to focus on his movements.

He jerked in surprise when they started the sidel up to him, multitudes of claws reaching out to touch clothes and hair some even so bold as to nudge him with their heads.

Looking about the room it seemed to be roughly build, the dirt and stone floor scratched and tunnels led from the back, doing a rough count there seemed to be nearly 30 drones in the room ranging in height from 2 feet tall to nearly 6.

Movement from something large in the tunnels caught his attention and the drones stopped scrambling out of the way as it moved closer, the light went up again and it became visible.

A multi-legged drone moved forward with a second fallowing behind it, the sharp clawed arms stretched forward as it stretched out its upper body in the less enclosed space, it stood at nearly 11 feet tall and the vicious looking blade that ran the length of its arms glittered.

The one behind it darted forward and towered above him growling.

The dronesscattered away till all butone of the smaller drones held itsground sinking intoa low pose and let out a series of sounds that seemed like overly broken Cybertronian.

The larger drone looked at him confused making a barrage of sounds, it repeated them several times before it sunk down looking annoyed.

"Uh… Hi?" he said at the larger drone, the 3ft drone at his feet looked up its head cocked to the side and it let out a loud squeeling noise.

Wincing at the sound he gazed at the intently staring drones

"So why am I here." More metallic noised filled the room, each of the 30 or so drones had a different reason it seemed, he yelped and covered his ears as the sounds became frenzied and continually increased in volume.

The seconded of the 11 foot drones moved forwards and emmited a booming noise, the drones froze most looked up at it sheepishly and huddled together in groups.

Its partner chattered at him infuriated, make rather wild gestured with his arms and he was sure that he caught the Cybertronian for silly organic in it.

The second ignored the triad before it flicked its partner between the optics before lowering its self awkwardly to his level, it tapped the ground in front of him and it drew several little pictures before it lent back looking smug.

"I don't get it." The look on the drones faceplates turned from smug to stunned, it looked at the drawing and motioned over one of the smaller tripod drones, it pointed to the pictured and chattered at it as it pointed to Sam.

After an hour of language barriers he finally flopped down on the floor the larger drone leaned over the top of him with a curious look

"So let see if I have this right, you kidnapped me cause I killed Megatron?" the was a nod from the drone he continued "you want me to get you the casing so you can squash it?"

It shook its head and stamped a foot in frustration, Sam scrambled out of its way

"Hay calm down okay, I can't help not speaking robot okay!" The drone sat back with a grumbling noise in the almost empty room, its counterpart sat near the tunnel snickering.

"So your master the blue robot… Haphazard right," the drone nodded "has two sparks?" it nodded again "you want me to get the second spark into the casing so you can squash it?" the drone jumped up clicking happily and clapped its hands together.

"What make you think I can do it." It stood and pointed to the picture of Megatron then stamped on it "Oh right I killed Megatron"

The drone bobbed its head then moved up beside him it gestured to his back the crouched down more.

"Eh… what?" the drones partner stood and picked him up, the four clawed hands wrapping around him and sat him on its partners back.

* * *

He clung tightly to the drones back as it scrambled off down the tunnels, happily scaled the inside of the wall moving round the base rather fast.It stopped suddenly causing Sam to smack into its back , the drone anchored itself in the wall and nudged aside the pane.

Raised Cybertronian voiced filled the enclosed space, there were yells and an angry hissing noise he was rather surprised to see it was Optimus and Bee in what looked to an office.

The drones head was cocked to the side in confusion, looking between the two before it's head swivelled round to look at him with wide optics.

It pushed the panel aside further when the yelling started again it froze at a particular phrase from Bumblebee even Optimus seemed mildly shocked at the outburst.

It shimmied out of the wall and moved down slowly stopping when their fighting stopped before it scrambled up onto the desk, the drones torso twisted and its arms made to collect Sam from its back.

Sam clambered off quickly and the drone looked up to the two distracted Cybertronian before starting to move back towards the wall.

"Hi guys what up." Sam called up, Optimus and Bumblebee both looked at him in shock before he was scooped up by an elated Bee.

A loud rumbling purr emitted form Bee engine as he was repeatly scanned and petted by the Cybertronian

"Yo Bee I'm fine honest, they wanted to speak to someone there own size."

Looking over to the drone he could almost see an embarrassed look on the large drones faceplates as it started to back away again, it protested in its rapid-fire language as Optimus scooped it up in his cupped palms.

"And why not take Captain Lennox or one of the military officers?" The drone chirred head cocked to the side

"I can answer that one, it was the whole shoving the cube into Megatron's spark."

The drone nodded furiously chattering away in its language as it speed up it began to sound musical, becoming more relaxed and confidant the drones gestured increased, arms thrown around, bobbing and swaying even jumping in Prime's palms before it sank down with that smug look again.

Optimus blinked at the drone several times before turning to Bumblebee who looked rather confused at the creature

"That didn't make much sense." Bee said as the drone let out a long suffering sigh, it bounced out Optimus' grasp before he could react and scampered up the walls too the roof, it twisted to point at Sam letting out a demanding sound before disappearing through a tile.

"Well that was different." Ratchet commented from the door way, Optimus and Bee turned to him with shrugs and nods. "May I speak with you privately Optimus."

Optimus nodded and Bee left without protest heading to the rec room to see if the others were still around, apologies were in order for his behaviour.

Ratchet sat in front of Optimus and made himself comfortable as Optimus stretched out in his chair, he frowned at the pursed look on the medic face plate and lent forward

"Who will be arriving?"

"Sunstreaker has confirmed Prowl and Bluestreak's signature at this point."

"Are there more?" Prime nodded worry creeping into his spark for the femme, he had a rather forboding sense that she was the reason the medic was here.

"This will cause a problem, I have to completely rebuild her Prime."

Optimus felt his spark pulse wildly in its casing as his processors pieced together what would be needed

"How long do we have?" the medic shrugged

"Immediately would be best, there is still the possibility…" Ratchet trailed off at the look on Optimus' face plates and the sad look in his optics "So he did truly pass?" there was a nod of confirmation

"Both his peace and regret is that he didn't bond to Prowl." Optimus said with a bittersweet smile, "And I will explain to Prowl one he lands."

"I will get started then."

* * *

Ha it is posted at last now onto the next chapters when there ready 


	14. Misplaced

_Haha Hello, I have finaly returned from my lurking to update _

again I thank the lovely Beta VAwitch

* * *

**Fractures **

**Misplaced**

Optimus waited for the arrival of the four mechs, giving a silent prayer to Primus that this wouldn't go to the Pit.

The silvery mech beside him prowled around nervously, jumped at the smallest sound or movement that was captured by the sensitive visor and audios. It bounded backwards using its body's natural agility when a shot horn blast sounded in the distance and the shrill whoop of a siren carried over the distance.

The four vehicles came to a halt near Prime and transformed in fluid succession, the first being Prowl, his alt mode a Dodge Charger decked out in the local law enforcement's black and white, next the gunmetal gray Bluestreak transformed out of his Dodge Charger altmode. Mirage shifted out of his Farrari Enzo altmode and froze, a frown forming on his face plates. Looking at the crouching silver mech, he went to comment privately to Prowl but the mech had spotted him as Cliffjumper nearly barreled into him as he transformed at speed. The silvery mech bounced out of the way, taking little concern over the dizzy looking mech as he settled back into the crouch. 

"Prime you informed me Jazz was …" Prowl stopped the words in his vocalizer as he turned to the crouching mech. "Jazz," he said taking a few wary steps towards the mech, who looked up and jumped back. Scrambling away from Prowl, fear and confusion on its face plate, it hid behind Prime, clinging to one of his legs as it peered around at Prowl.

"Who is it!" Prowl said almost harshly, as the mech flinched away with a fearful whine emitting from its vocalizer. It sunk down lower, visor flashing at the dark mech that bore a resemblance to Barricade.

"Be calm Prowl and I will explain," Optimus said evenly, blocking out the pain of the claws digging into his leg out of fear. Prowl shifted, a look of shame on his normally passive faceplates.

Mirage and Bluestreak grabbed Cliffjumper, dragging the eavesdropping mech off towards the waiting form of Ratchet.

"As you wish Prime, but who is it?" Prowl questioned, his vocalizer softer as his optics locked with the visor of the shivering form of Jazz, cowering behind Prime's legs. 

"This is Haphazard, she was created as a sparked drone for Megatron; during the process the spark changed to become a separate new spark."

Prowl nodded in acceptance of the first part, gaze still locked with the femme in Jazz's body. 

"She landed here nearly 6 months ago and joined the Autobots; around two months ago she was captured by the Decepticons and tortured enough that when she was returned she was barely functional. Ratchet is in the process of building her a new body but the only way to keep her alive was to use Jazz's body."

Haphazard shifted slightly under the gaze of Prowl as he moved closer. Once he was just out of arm's reach he lowered himself to a crouch, door wings dropped in a low position in the least threatening pose he could muster.

"I know you?" Haphazard asked before Prowl could even say a word, watching as he shivered. "You danced with him ... with Jazz." 

Prowl saw confusion flutter in the visor; even after vorns of separation he could still read every tiny movement in Jazz and now in the femme inhabiting Jazz's body 

"Yes we did dance." Prowl moved forward slightly and glanced up as Prime hissed; Haphazard's claws were biting into the soft cables below the armor. "What do you know of me?" 

The visor flickered in contemplation, Jazz would never have allowed this to show in such a public place, but then this was not Jazz; it was someone else in his body and it was a concept his processors didn't want to work around even if it was a logical way to save this femme.

"What's left of his fondest memories; Ratchet tried to copy and remove them but some are still here." 

Prowl shuddered again at the sound of Jazz's voice spoken in a flat and almost listless tone, it seemed rather cold for him unlike his flamboyant self; even the sliver paint seemed toned down for him.

"Hazard, are you going to release my leg?" 

"No," came the automatic response as the claws loosened. Optimus relaxed slightly at the pain began to recede and the claws shifted to the armor.

Prowl rose and moved backwards standing at attention in front of Prime, his head bowed slightly. 

"Allow me to apologies for my earlier actions; they were uncalled for." 

"Your actions were surprising but not unacceptable for the situation;" Prime said with a nod as he turned. He winced again as Haphazard's claws once again sunk into his leg and a low growl was emitted from the femme.

"Do you know that is really annoying," she hissed, flinching again. "Could you stop it please?" 

A frown appeared on Optimus' face and Prowl seemed almost as confused, as the femme shifted again running a hand over one of her crests, flinching yet again. 

"I am unsure of what I am supposedly doing." 

Glaring at him she did the same to him and watched him wince, he nodded quickly as she stopped. 

"Stop pinging his … my… frag it stop pinging the uplink!" 

Optimus looked between the pair unsure of Prowl's reaction to her blatant confusion over this situation, Prowl was watching the femme with a critical look in his optics.

He gave his leg a shake and the femme rose, edgily keeping as close to him as possible without being stepped on. A horn sounded somewhere in the distance and she ducked near him, gun and shield out in an astro second as she scanned their surroundings. He felt a comm link from Prowl and accepted it, observing as the femme glanced back at him several time checking to make sure he wasn't drawing any weapons.

'_Is she always so anxious_?' 

'_Only since she was returned by the Decepticons. Did you realize you were attempting an Uplink?_' 

Prowl shook his head and the femme stopped rather suddenly, optics scanning her surroundings. With a frown, she moved in front of Prime, tapping the ground with her foot slowly. 

"What is she doing?" Prowl questioned as she continued the strange behaviour. She turned and made a motion for quiet before slamming her claws through the soft earth and pulling up a dull bronze drone. She lifted it to her optics and glared at it, chattering away in musical tones the drone waved a clawed spade in the direction of Prowl and shook itself.

She shrilled back at it in reply and scolded the small drone before dropping it; the creature buried itself back in the earth and waved a claw before disappearing completely.

Optimus shook his head and started off again. She fell back into pace beside him, becoming edgier as they came closet to the blast door. She slowed down and shifted uneasily. Haphazard froze once the hill the base was hidden under came into view. Prowl picked up the tense stance and the loudly humming vents, while Optimus glanced back and sighed when he realized she wasn't moving. They picked up garbled Cybertronian as the femme started to back away. Optimus grabbed her by the spoiler and hoisted her to his optic level, giving her a stern look that stated quite clearly she was going to behave. 

"You have refused to enter the base for 3 days and I do not want you to be exposed any longer even if Ironhide is accompanying you." 

They made it to the door without protest from the suspended femme; as soon as the doors opened that changed. Her arms flailed and scrabbled at his wrist attempting to get away, the incoherent sentences and words flooded their audios and the permeating whine of fear from her vocalizer rose to unbearable levels. 

Ratchet looked out from the Med bay and glared at the fritzing femme; she swiped at Optimus' wrist before pulling the gun out aiming at his side. 

"Primus," Ratchet groaning as she shrieked louder and he winced at the audio damaging levels. "Take her away from the Medbay." Hound and Mirage peeked out of the Medbay with rather surprised looks at the rather angry-looking Jazz struggling in Prime's grip.

With a groan Optimus headed down the ramp towards the private quarters; he held her out further when she aimed a kick at his side. The string of curses that left her vocalizer would have made both Jazz and Ironhide proud. Optimus dropped Haphazard on the floor and the surprised femme looked up embarrassed.

"And where did you learn that, youngling?" In an instant she pointed to Prowl with the look of a sparkling caught in the energon goodies receptor written on her features.

"You're expecting me to believe that Prowl, whom you've only met tonight, taught you those?" 

"No, but Jazz learnt some from him," she said with a shrug. "Not sure if he's actually used them, that's a bit harder to tell."

Optimus merely shook his head and motioned for Prowl to follow him. Haphazard continued to sit on the floor gaze following him intently.

"You may go to either your quarters or the recreational room." She jumped up at Prime's order and gave a salute before disappearing into her quarters, a blue shimmer of the visor the only light from the room. 

Ratchet waited patiently as Prime and Prowl returned to the med bay. Hound and Mirage gave a nod and headed to their quarters, looking forward to recharging in a proper berth after the arduous flight. Gesturing to the surgery at the back of the Medbay they moved inside; several screens were displaying schematics of the body on the table. The dull metal of the basic structure stood out sharply against the solid colors of the surgery table, awaiting the addition of weaponry and the more delicate equipment.

"How badly was she damaged?" Prowl questioned as he looked at structure. Examining the wrist joint and looking closely at the down turned hand, the hint of something underneath caught his attention "May I?" he asked Ratchet as he motioned at the wrist and hand. Ratchet nodded as Prowl carefully lifted the wrist and turned the hand over, examining the sheathed claws along the fingers.

"The damage done to her was beyond repair," Ratchet gestured to the screen and the hand slipped from Prowl's grip as he looked at the images floating on the screen. "I barely managed to copy her most recent memories and transfer her spark casing before all her systems shut down."

"I must confess my curiosity at her reactions to entering the base." 

Ratchet nodded and opened several angles of recorded video feed on the screen, Prowl and Optimus watch intently as it ran. 

_Ratchet stood over the mangled chassis of the femme as his optics flickered between the spark and her vital stats on a screen. Wheeljack was at the berth with the body of Jazz, copying information from his CPU onto data chips, erasing memories and core programming as it was backed up._

"_Ratchet, some of these memories are locked into the CPU."_

_Ratchet merely nodded and went back to his own extraction of information, disconnecting cables as he went. "If you cannot remove them, partition them; she needs this."_

_Wheeljack nodded as he began to upload information, installing the programming strands slowly. He paused, flicking between one strand and some schematics, and frowning._

"_I've had to change some of her programming to stop conflicting systems." _

_Warnings flashed on Ratchet's screen as her spark stopped pulsing, before starting at an irregular rhythm again; more warnings screamed at him from the monitors as her fuel pump stalled and other systems crashed. Ratchet swore venomously and cupped the spark casing carefully in his palms as he disconnected it and lifted it away from the crashing frame. He moved quickly over to Jazz's body and set the spark casing into the cradle; the seven cables branching from the casing twitched as they tried to locate their key systems. Ratchet let out a sigh of relief as the last of the cables connected and her spark registered its normal pulse wave. Wheeljack made to remove the remains of Haphazard's previous body when a terrified screech ripped through the room, making both the mechs jump in surprise. Haphazard scrambled off the berth, optical visor locked onto the remains of her previous body. As they advanced on her, weapons systems loaded and she flicked the gun between the two._

"_Her processors and memory banks haven't loaded yet," Ratchet hissed at Wheeljack. With a nod of understanding he darted around the bench and grabbed the femme keeping her still while Ratchet shut her down._

Prowl frowned at the recording before backtracking to a klik before she started screaming and began to advanced one frame at a time. Just as Ratchet had stepped back from her body and Wheeljack had begun to turn, a spindly silver-colored transformer pulled itself from her remains before disappearing under the berth. Optimus and Ratchet gazed in horror and wonder as another of the spindly transformers pulled itself from her remains and proceeded to hide away, barley missing being shot by the panicked femme.

"My scanner should have registered those things," Ratchet said with a frown as he backtracked several frames, eyeing up the design of the robots. Loud hissing caught their attention as the pair of attack drones dropped from the ceiling, their optics trained on Prowl as they landed and advanced, their claws flexed and one's upper body twisted to expose an energon rifle. Prowl watched the pair with minor interest and made no movements as they got closer; he picked up a repetitive strain of sound under the growls as they advanced.

Optimus gave the leader of the pair a stern look and it chirped out a sound that had become associated with either danger or enemy as it pointed to Prowl; its mate refused to back down even as Prowl aimed his own gun at it.

"What does it want?" Prowl asked of Optimus as he picked up the pair off the bench, the loud protests from the pair echoing around the closed room.

"They believe you are the enemy." 

Both stopped to glare at Prowl, as the silvery drone pointed to the screen before prodding at Prime's fingers. Placing the drone back on the bench it scrambled up the wall to poke at the screen, one hand curled around the screen and it flickered to a blank orange color, black text scrolled down the screen as soundless video feed flickered on the screen it was from the ground looking up at someone who looked suspiciously like Prowl loomed over head, a gun pointing at the person before it fired a laser burst sending the video into darkness.

"Prowl, is this familiar to you?" 

"I do not recall killing in cold blood." He said moving closer to the screen. "Please replay the video." The drone gave him a look of suspicion but replayed it; Prowl frowned in contemplation it certainly looked like his Cybertronian form. The constellations that could be made out were also from Cybertron, but he couldn't cross reference this with any of his memories. A glint of an insignia caught his attention as it played for the fourth time, visible only for a few frames as the laser burst flared.

"That is Barricade," Prowl stated after it played a final time. "That would have been just prior to the war."

Ratchet moved beside him with a frown and nodded in agreement. The drone looked at him, carefully scrutinizing his faceplates and armor before it nodded releasing it grip on the screen and disappeared into the roof. 

"Those drones are annoying little glitches," Ratchet grumbled as the screen reset itself and the designs appeared scrambled. "They get into everything. You do a stock take one night and the next it's gone and now, now there are more!" he growled, shooing Optimus and Prowl from the Medbay. 

"Trap those pit-spawns and being them to me; I need all the spare parts I can muster!"

* * *

Hope you enjoyed this chapter, if anyone can take a guess as to why the nasty drones didn't register to Ratchet I give cyber cookies to those who are correct.


	15. Threads

_

* * *

_

Hello Hello I have escaped from the confines of work to update actuall still at work just being sneaky

_I was hoping to update sooner but sometimes things get out of hand but here we are _

_again I give thanks to all the lovely reviewer and many many many thanks to VAwitch for betaing this._

_Now onwards to the fic before my muses go on strike because I dillidadaling about._

**_

* * *

_**

Fractures

**_Threads_**

Prowl revised the data from the most recent battles, in particular the battle when the femme was captured.

He ran the data from each of the Autobots present, each seen from a different perspective and yet this was much more tactical than this particular group of Decepticons were usually capable of.

He ran over the few reports Jazz had actually done in his short stint as second in command; comments and doodles ran along the margins beside the main report bringing the briefest tinge of a smile to his features before it faded.

Insistent clicking caught his attention as one of the drones hung from the ceiling, looking curiously at the reports it lowered itself down.

It poked at the data pad purring at the Cybertronian.

"And what is your designation?"

It cocked its head looking confused as it looked at the report, it gave a shrug poking at the data pad and the symbols as it read the reports.

It stretched itself up and highlighted a paragraph and chirped in confusion.

"A garbled Cybertronian signal registered on the edge of my scanners for 2.3 kliks before it faded. When I rejoined Prime from the tail he said it was a ghost signal. Though I disagree with Prime, there are more pressing issues at hand."

Prowl nodded and the small drone continued to read the reports, occasionally pointing out parts that seemed out of place.

"Krrch isn't disturbing you is he?" Haphazard's called from the doorway, visor downcast and refusing to meet his optics. "He isn't meant to be seen unless its needed."

"How many drones have you created?"

Haphazard cocked her head considering how many.

"Active or Inactive?"

Prowl considered this for a moment, curious as to why she would suggest that question.

"Enlighten me on both please." Prowl said as he gestured to the seat.

"There at 37 active drones and 11 inactive." Krrch looked curiously between the two and chirped at Prowl.

"And what is this one's purpose?"

"Krrch and his unit gather information and share it with the others,." Haphazard said with a shrug, before she stood.

"Optimus informed me that you refused to say little, bar that there were multiple drones."

She nodded and began to turn from him, heading back down the hall.

Prowl caught up to the smaller femme and stopped her with a hand on her shoulder making her turn.

"Why did you confide this in me?"

She paused for a moment, refusing to meet his optics.

"My programming is designed to repair all fractured coding in the processors; Wheeljack inadvertently reactivated this particular strand."

"Is Wheeljack aware that this was activated?"

"I doubt it. It's an underlying code that seems nothing more than a redundant strand," Prowl nodded in agreement. "Jazz's trust of you is laced throughout each memory, each tiny strand of coding that wasn't removed properly."

Prowl dropped his hand from her shoulder and stepped back. She turned back towards the ramp leading to the crew quarters and disappeared at the shadowed corner.

**

* * *

**

Decepticon Base

Triage paced about his med bay as a smug Barricade watched him closely; the Autobots hadn't caught his drones but neither had they found the location of the spark casing.

"I told you it would not work," Barricade commented, watching as a hammer sailed past him and smashed into the wall. It bounced across the floor and came to a halt.

"But those other drones know where that casing is; how can they know and mine can't?"

Barricade didn't comment as the medic went on a tirade, throwing tools around before bleeping caught their attention.

One of the small screen bleeped and a video feed appeared.

The feed came from one of the drones looking down on Optimus Prime and the medic Ratchet.

"_Are you sure this is correct?"_

"_I__'__m positive; it is from her original specifications._" Ratchet said with a frown, "_Nearly half of these systems are incompatible, yet somehow she functioned rather well with them._"

Optimus Prime paused, running a digit over the projected coding, looking with optics carefully focused on the coding.

"_Ratchet, do you remember a certain scientist that came up with multi-phased programming, used in some of the younger creations?_"

Ratchet nodded as Optimus phased the coding and Ratchet brightened as redundant sections translated correctly instead of as garbled Cybertronian.

"_Well that explains how she integrated the systems__.__"_

"_Call Wheeljack up here and update him;, I want to know what has been programmed into her._"

A low hissing caught on the feed before it died, incessant chatter from a pair of voices and angry growls playing through the feed before it faded, leaving only white noise.

Triage twitched as he turned off the feed and turned on Barricade, picking up a laser scalpel on the way.

"What did he mean multi-phased programming?"

Barricade kept his place as the medic advanced on him, scalpel activating and humming as it was powered to it maximum efficiency.

The scalpel lashed out at his chest plate and Barricade caught the medics wrist in a vice grip, squeezing it tightly as their optics locked.

"Your programming was too simplistic," Barricade growled out, twisting the wrist in his grip to a painfully awkward angle.

"She wasn't meant to be more than simply a first test!" Triage hissed, trying to escape Barricade's crushing grip.

"And when she had the upgrade not a single strand of her coding was compatible with that scrapheap you called a body."

"It was fit for use, the parts fitted." Barricade let out a bark of laughter.

"They fit! Even a Junkion wouldn't have used those parts."

"All she needed was basic function and movement, her processors were fine."

With a snarl Barricade twisted the medic to his knees, pressing a gun to the back of his helm and letting it click into activation.

"You programmed her incorrectly when she was a drone, then installed incorrect core programming when you upgraded her." He twisted the medic's arm and let the servos whine. " The first time she came online after her upgrade she crashed her processors, fractured every code line and very nearly took Megatron with her!"

"It's not possible, the back lash shouldn't happen!" Triage yelped out as his arm was nearly twisted out of its joint, armor began to buckle and groan under the pressure.

"It did, that is why I reprogrammed her. The only way to make any of those systems work was to build multi phased programs," With a dark chuckled the a claw hooking under the armor to scratch a fuel line "Then you entered her processors and slagging deactivating half of her primary coding, You're not worth the slag metals you're made of!"

Triage twitched and struggled under the other Decepticon's grasp, as he felt the plasma gun heating up.

"But…but you need me to resurrect L..Lord Megatron!" he stuttered out, panic setting into his sparks. "You can't deactivate me." His armor creaked and Barricade lent down a malicious grin spreading over his face plate as he hissed in the others audio.

"Are your sure you're not expendable Triage?"

**

* * *

**

Autobot base

Ratchet nudged the femme in her seat, as she gazed unfocused into a cube of energon, yet watching it swirl and refusing to ingest it.

She would twitch, pushing it away and glaring at the cube from the opposite side of the table. Cliffjumper was failing to keep his faceplates in a neutral position as Ratchet let out a groan and pushed the cube back towards her.

"You need to drink this energon. I will not have you crashing your system from stubborn behavior." She pushed it away again still glaring at the swirling pink and violet contents.

"It doesn't look right and it smells funny."

"Of course it will look and taste different, the energon the Decepticons fed you was of the poorest quality."

She prodded it with a clawed finger, watching it slosh in the cube ,looking at the hints of a red hue that filtered through it.

"I'm not drinking it," she stated, casting a suspicious glance at Ratchet. "Have you drunk any of it?"

"Yes I absorbed a cube a few moments ago and it was perfectly fine."

She snorted and mock saluted Prowl as he took a seat on her left at the small table.

"Prowl tell her to drink the energon," Ratchet grumbled at the mech. Prowl picked up the cube and scanned it before he dropped it into the recycler beside him.

"That energon is contaminated," Prowl said flatly as he glanced at the femme beside him, Ratchet rose form his seat and pinned Hazard with a commanding look.

"You still need to take in some energon, Hazard you're system are rather complicated to get restarted if they seize" Ratchet rose from his seat and left the room

"Its not potant enough to knock out Ratchet, Can't say it wouldn't seize my systems though it was rather strange"

Cliffjumper couldn't hold it in any longer and burst into peal of laughter. His vocaliser hitched slightly before he continued to laugh.

"I told Sideswipe that switching Cliffjumper's energon with high-grade was a bad idea," she grumbled as Cliffjumper continued to cackle shaking the table as he bounced in his seat.

Prowl nodded in agreement as Cliffjumper's pitch went up to an octave to a near shriek. One of the scavenger class drones dropped from the ceiling and poked the mech, looking concerned as it turned to glance at its master attempting to cover her sensitive audios.

It switched off the vocaliser before crawling up the walls to its escape route in the roof panels; it chattered at Prowl for a moment before the panel slid back into place.

"And what is the designation of that one?" Prowl questioned once she uncovered her audios and stopped laughing at the flailing Cliffjumper, the irate mech threw a rude gesture at her before storming out of the rec room to find Ratchet presumable

"Ahlsol." A contemplating look passed over her features for a moment. "He said you need to stop fretting over those data pads and play in the rec room more."

"Your drones are certainly opinionated." She shrugged as her visor flickered off and she half recharged in the seat.

"They each have their own personality; they are everything I am bar from in the spark."

Prowl

"Are you up linked to them at the present time?"

"No, they can function without me; they don't really need me." Prowl hummed at her comment noting a tiny sliver of sadness in her tone.

"Would you prefer them to be dependant on you?" Her head snapped up and she glared at him, visor flashing angrily.

"I know what forced dependence is like and I wish it on no creature," she hissed with a shudder as her shoulders hitched higher and her crests twitched.

Prowl continued to watch her carefully, considering her reactions to this topic as she slowly drifted into recharge on the table and began to purr.

Optimus entered and glanced in the direction of Prowl and Haphazard, chuckling at the femme recharging on the table and Prowl leaning back also looking quite comfortable in his seat.

"Has she managed to send you on a glitch mouse hunt yet?"

Prowl shrugged at his commander's question, glancing over to her again and truly wishing it was Jazz in that seat, not the femme in his body.

Prime took a seat opposite his second in command, taking a draft from his energon and measuring the look his second in command was throwing at Haphazard.

"If there had been any other option I would have taken it," Prime commented quietly as Prowl turned to him with a nod.

"Primus likes to play cruel jokes sometimes." Optimus nodded in agreement.

"And he has played a vast number on her," he said in a low voice as she twitched, crests flicking before settling. "I just hope it stops soon." A sad whistle of agreement sounded from atop Prime's shoulder as a drone settled down.

"And where did you come from little one?"

The drone pointed to the recharging femme with a chirp before examining Prime's armor, curious of its reflection in the recently buffed chrome pipes. The small drone chattered away happily and watched the gears in Optimus' shoulder, content to be on the larger mech's shoulder even when he rose and stretched.

"You may wish to move her, she can be rather volatile if she is disturbed."

With a nod Prowl lifted the femme and tensed as she pressed into him, engine settling into a soft purr as he carried her towards her quarters

He entered the code to her quarters awkwardly once they arrived, the lights flickered on and he stopped at the swarm of confused drones in her room, they had pulled the desk from the wall and poured in through a hole behind it. They paused and looked up at Prowl, heads cocked to the side as they examined Prowl as he stood rigidly carrying their mistress.

One let out a cheep and several snickers came from the drones before they disappeared back into the wall hole, leaving the gutted remains of a rifle. Prowl moved to the berth and attempted to place the femme down. Her arms tightened and the purring intensified as she clung on, refusing to release him as she recharged.

Prowl tried to reach round and open the locked claw; not quite able to reach the claws, he sighed in frustration and sat on the berth waiting for her to releaser her in her own time.

"Need a hand making her let go?" Sunstreaker questioned from the door. Prowl gave a nod and Sunstreaker moved inside and waited for Prowl to stand. She let out a whine as Sunstreaker unhooked her claws, allowing Prowl to place her on the berth watching her shudder and curl into a tight ball.

Sunstreaker left with a salute, his frame tense as he headed to his own quarters and his fists clenched to his side as he left. Prowl could almost see the jealous glare in his optics but then maybe it just the odd lighting in this room. Prowl took a final look at the femme from the door way, wondering if what she had said was true - could there still be a spark of Jazz still within that body?

* * *

_Ducks projectiles and acid pellets form angry Prowl_

Author: It's not my fault blame Megatron, blame Prime I didn't do.

Prowl:You are the author, you wrote the spark casing transfer.

Author: it's not my fault she revs your eng...EEP _hides behind Hazard._

Hazard: Who revs what now?


	16. Shades

Hahahaha Finally updated dose little dance

Thanks to the brilliant beta VAwitch for her assistance with my terrible grammer

Hope you all enjoy this chapter

* * *

**_Fractures_**

**_Shades_**

Haphazard bolted out of recharge, twitching as those ghost uplink signals niggled at the edges of her sensors.

Rolling off the recharge berth she scrambled under it, tapping on the loose panel to catch the attention of her drones waiting, for a reply from one of them.

The tiny tapping reply came and one of the drones moved aside the panel, optics peaking out. Deciding it was safe it crawled up her arm, ;the construction drone gazed at the mechanisms he could see, gathering information for his unit's next project.

"Who keeps signaling outside?"

The drone Sil chirped his reply.

"Not us, another drone?" Haphazard nodded as the drone purred on her shoulder. "Ahl is searching for strange signals, Dev is watching hiding mech."

She nodded again scratching Sil's head as she made herself comfortable on the berth,; Sil chirped in confusion nudging her cheek

"Are the beta's still inactive?" Sil chirped a yes and nudged her again, concern in its tiny optics. "You all know when they have to be activated." Sil chirped again before disappearing back to the others to relay this information.

Haphazard moved off the berth to sit pressing her head against the cool metal walls and blocking the errant memories of Jazz and the femme who originally supplied her processors, different emotions filtered through each of them, strangling her thoughts.

She didn't notice the tapping at her door and the mech slid into the room after entering the access code. Moving to stand over her for some time he watched her shiver before he leaned down running a scan over her.

"I'm taking you to the Medbay."

Panic slammed into her at the mention of the room; her own memories flooded her processors as ghosts of pain ran along her chassis, making the plates rattle and shift, ready to transform and flee.

Strong arms wrapped around her, stopping her from fleeing the room,. A strong and calming pulse radiated from the mech's spark and she relaxed; the memories faded and her processors emptied of all thought bar from the comfort from that spark.

* * *

Krrch cocked his head as he watched their master panic, she twitched fighting the black and white mech that had his arms round her, he made strange noises as a hand stroked over her helmet.

Edging from under the berth he hid behind the desk peaking at the mech and his master, the dark mech lifted her up onto the berth and sat down with a sigh.

"The master is in pain," Ahl called to him through their network. "She is afraid, why?"

"Krrch is watching, the black and white mech is soothing her and Ratchet is here."

Watching the medic sit beside her, he felt the humm from the medic as it settled into her systems and her visor dimmed before fading out as she dropped into a recharge cycle.

Krrch felt annoyance from Ahl as he avoided the question,; as leader he needed as much knowledge as possible so he shifted closer and listened to the mechs' discussion.

"What did you do Prowl? Her processors were moments away from overheating."

Prowl looked over the now recharging femme.

"I came to speak to her in regards to her drone. When I entered she was shivering and believed it was best to move her to the Medbay."

Ratchet nodded in agreement running some finals scans over her frame watching as she curled into a tight ball in her recharge.

"Stay with her for a while, make sure her processors don't overheat."

Krrch moved back behind the desk watching as Ratchet left and Prowl dragged a chair to the side of her berth examining the silvery armor, after his first scan of her he pulled a data pad from a subspace compartment working on a security report as he kept watch.

Angry scrabbling sounded from under the berth as long claws arched from under the berth soon followed by snarls of a drone. It pulled itself out, pulling itself up to nearly 13 feet in height, dark armor rippling over its form and red optics glared at him.

Prowl stood slowly as its optics tracked him, snakelike neck bobbing as its jaws hung open baring sharp serrated teeth before the drone backed up and turned its attention to the recharging femme.

Krrch shrieked at the drone before leaping onto Prowl's shoulder its tiny claws biting into cables as it hissed at the much larger one.

The larger drone turned with a snarl, its vocalizer growling at Krrch in dark tones before lifting a small blaster at him.

'_Prime I may require some assistance_' Prowl called over his internal com as it focused on Krrch, it snapped its jaws menacingly, teeth grating and clacking as it started to advance.

'_Please elaborate Prowl_.'

'_There is a drone here that has set Haphazard as its target; one of her drones is currently distracting it_.'

'_I will be there soon_.'

A second drone pulled itself out from under the berth, dark red armour covering its frame. On one arm it sported a small blaster. It grinned at them smugly as it moved onto the berth, its grin spreading as it looked at the femme's prone form. Nudging at the side of her head it rose up high the gun aiming between the hollows of her armor.

Prime stopped in the doorway, optics narrowed at the dark scarlet drone ready to attack the recharging femme, the drone paused as she twitched and settled back.

Prowl's optics narrowed at the femme; the tiniest twinkle of the visor alerted him that she was in fact online and using her sensors to feel the movements above her. The tiny drone on his shoulder screeched louder, drawing both of the intruders' attention.

In that split second the drone's gunarm was twisted and ripped away viciously, aided by the magnetic fields.

She pounced on the first of the fallen drone, hissed a long sting of sounds at Krrch who yelped and disappeared round the desk. The black drone chased him and crashed into the desk before turned its attention to its fallen partner who withered under the claws of the angry femme.

Haphazard jumped off the scarlet drone and onto it dark partner, crushing it to the floor as it let out a squeal of surprise, the red drone rose shakily off the floor and charged at her.

She let its partner throw them into the abandoned chair sending the tangle of limbs into the wall. Prowl dodged out of the way as flying drones headed in his direction and Haphazard detangled herself from the lashing claws.

Prowl shuddered at the sadistic grin on her faceplates and the red hue that threatened the brilliant blue. As she darted round Optimus a dark chuckle echoed down the hallway as she left.

The hissing drones untangled themselves and gave chase, one leaking energon and armless, while the other was dented and scratched.

Optimus and Prowl gave chase, they moved in a flurry of limbs as the drones scampered to keep up with the faster femme as she rounded a corner.

* * *

Mirage jumped out of the way as Haphazard ran past him then moments later two snarling feral drones scrabbled past, sliding on the metal as they went by and closely followed Optimus and Prowl.

"Is something the matter?" Prowl didn't slow down but nodded and commed the mech,

'_F__ollow me__;__ those drones have to be stopped, Haphazard has to be stopped_.'

Mirage gave a nod and followed at a sprint to catch up, Prime and Prowl were nearing a junction as she turned and let the drones hit a dead end before doubling back taking a left turn into the training room.

The sadistic grin had spread and the visor had darkened to a red glare, she held her stance as the drones ran in and skidded to a halt, aiming their guns at her, chattering and grinning themselves.

Optimus, Prowl and Mirage entered to find that Haphazard leaning against the back wall of the training room, a smug look on her face plates and scarlet visor with her gun shield pointing to the ground.

Her drones poured into the room through the open training room doorway. They grouped in a corner and the two largest drones, Ahl and Dev, glared at the two unknown attack class drones that were menacing their master.

Her grin only intensified as Ironhide and Hound entered the room, followed by a confused Ratchet being led by several of the larger scavenger class drones.

Hazard paced in front of the confused attack drones, she hissed at them in her drones' language, watching them snarl and bristle. The scarlet drone launched itself forward and she moved aside letting it hit the wall with a crunch.

"Want me to shoot the black one Prime?" Ironhide questioned as she dodged the attack, firing controlled rounds into the red one. Prime merely shook his head as she rolled out of the way, firing into the red drone's side as the black one jumped at her.

Ironhide's hand came down on Mirage's shoulder as he shook his head at the younger Autobot.

"Don't get involved she might see ya as a target." Ironhide flinched as a claw caught her in the side and shrieked against the armor. She growled, dodging another attack and gripped the neck of the red drone and smashed it against the wall with enough forcer to crack its cranial plates. She dropped the twitching drone and focused her attentions on its dark counterpart.

The black drone let loose an agonised scream, withering before it began its flurry of attacks again claws hooked at her shoulders and ripped at the metal as its teeth snapped, attempting to sink into her fuel lines.

With a smirk that foretold eminent pain to the drone she plunged her claws into its mid- section, ripping at whatever they could hook around.

The liquid crunch sent shivers up the spine of the mechs present and the look of satisfaction on her faceplates made them tense.

The red drone continued to twitch on the floor as she tossed aside the convulsing black drone,. Haphazard moved over to the scarlet drone and her maddened grin spread to twist her faceplates; cables snaked to the drone, splicing into its processors as she went rigid.

Prime moved towards the black drone with the intent of salvaging its processors and found the red drone thrown at his chest plates. Haphazard half turned to him, her visor settling to the dark blue hue again and the grin had settled to a passive expression.

"He has the Decepticons base location," she said quietly turning her visor on the black drone, the wires hung limply from her wrist before delving into the black drone's processors. It twitched a final time before its optics dimmed and became devoid of life.

Ratchet moved towards her with careful precision in an attempt not to spook her. The last thing he wanted at this point was for her to become frenzied again and attack one of them; if she did that he wasn't sure he could guarantee her safety.

She continued to examine the black drone, optics running over its design carefully, frowning under the visor.

She held it awkwardly as she turned the drone over, opening a panel in its back looking for the maker's mark if it had one.

Prowl moved forward at the look on her faceplates. He hadn't seen such a look of deep contemplation on those silver face plates for so many vorns.

"Haphazard, is there something you need to tell us in regards to those drones?"

She didn't answer as she pulled a panel of its back, looking over the wiring and shaking her head.

Prime moved in front of her arms crossed over his chest, optics boring into the visor as he pulled himself to his full height.

The dead red drone had been passed to Ratchet who was glaring at the back of his commander's helm - he wanted Hazard in the Medbay now.

"Hazard I want you to hand me the drone now," Prime said holding one hand out for the release of the dead drone. She handed it over reluctantly to her commanding officer.

"I don't know who built it," she said flatly as she turned to Prowl. "Triage doesn't have the skill to build them, he specializes in bipedal mechanoid drones."

Her drones slowly began to leave the room. Only the two leaders stayed and continued to watch the mechs, listening carefully to the conversation and murmuring quietly to themselves.

Prime was interrupted by Ahl and Dev as they moved in front of their master and stretched themselves up to strain their necks less as they looked at Optimus, Dev chattered flicking its wrist and rumbled at Ironhide who stood cannon half pointed at the drone.

"Dev needs to show you how the drones got in." Ironhide nodded and let Dev lead him out of the rec room and to the main entrance to the base.

Prime ignored Ahl as it attempted to politely catch his attention and looked at the small femme; he would never be able to forget that grin she had on her face plates when she retaliated against the drone, the look of satisfaction when she killed it would be imprinted on his processors, marring the memories of Jazz.

"Who has the ability to build that style of drone?" Optimus questioned softly keeping his emotions in check.

Haphazard looked up at him carefully, noting the suppressed anger in his optics and the tiniest hint of fear.

"Soundwave, Shockwave and Starscream have the skill to build these drones."

"And who taught you the skill to build drones?"

"Soundwave."


	17. Game on

_I have escaped from the Pits to update!_

_Now if my memory serves me right someone mentioned that there wasn't enough of the Decepticons, now that the time is correct I shall give you a devoted chapter._

_As always I praise VAwitch and her patience in Betaing this fic._

_P.S will attempt to get the next one up soon - my evil computers have eaten the files so they are in the process of being re-written._

* * *

Skywarp barrel-rolled and climbed higher into the dense atmosphere of this annoyingly organic world; the higher he claimed the less likely he was going to be spotted and less likely Blackout was going to find out and pull him limb from limb

Skywarp barrel-rolled and climbed higher into the dense atmosphere of this annoyingly organic world; the higher he claimed the less likely he was going to be spotted and less likely Blackout was going to find out and pull him limb from limb.

His comm fizzled to life and in the distance his scanners picked up Starscream's signature.

"Skywarp report," Starscream demanded harshly. "Were they successful?"

"Negative, they found her spark signature before they were killed by the saboteur."

"What!" the audio piercing screech came over the connection. "Megatron ripped that Autobot in two, he cannot be responsible!"

"The visual and audio feed confirm it Lord Starscream; the saboteur lured them into the Autobot's training room and disposed of them in front of Prime."

"That medic is more talented that we thought. No matter; we must implement another plan."

Skywarp held a steady speed before banking down, back towards the land below. "Which plan should we use Starscream?"

"Smoke her out and use that competitive streak of Dragstrip's."

"He's still out of commission."

"Tell him that little slagger has challenged him. Medbay or not that crawler won't be able resist the challenge and a chance to win"

"That could take a while; can't I just warp in and grab her?" Skywarp whined.

"NO. You cannot guarantee she will be close by," Starscream snapped over the link. "I need her in the open to dispose of her."

"Blackout will slag your aft when he finds out."

Skywarp pulled up sharply as Starscream shot in front of him, twisting to catch him as he hovered in his natural form.

"Blackout will not find out because you will not inform him is that clear?" Starscream snarled, one clawed hand wrapped around the jet's nosecone, his flashing optics and the tight grip hinting of pain for disobedience. Skywarp sent an affirmative over the link before Starscream released him and transformed, climbing back into the mesosphere.

Skywarp let himself plummet, feeling the tug on his wings and the carefree feeling. He was beginning to wonder if it was truly worth getting his aft slagged by Blackout to become wing commander under Starscream.

A communication cracked on his comm; it was human in origin and the pilot on the other end seemed concerned, requesting a reason for his freefall and demanding a response.

More of the human-piloted planes cruised by and kept to his rear; his scanner sent him readouts from the humans - they were hyped on adrenaline.

The other plane sent a volley of demands as two more of the F-22 Raptors contacted him demanding identification. He shot one down, sending the others into tight complex maneuvers to keep on his tail. Having little patience for humans today, he happily rolled in the air and banked, dodging around the planes to shoot them in the tail, enjoying the distress calls which he happily blocked off and finishing them in bright scarlet and orange explosions with plumes of dark smoke and falling shrapnel.

Skimming to the tops of the clouds he headed back towards base to be intercepted by Blackout. The Decepticon hovered in front of him, suspicion rolling of his plates in dense waves.

"Where have you been?" Blackout demanded with a snarl; he dropped ever so slightly before rising again as a strange clacking noise came from his engine.

"Stretching my wings, I need to keep my skill sharp." Skywarp said flatly, his engine whining in protest; he wasn't meant to hover in his altmode.

"Get back to base slagger." Blackout snapped as he turned, letting the jet screech past him at speed.

* * *

Decepticon base

Barricade smirked to himself as the medic twitched and shifted on the table, processors locked into a highly realistic fantasy.

The med bay had been cleared of dried energon, the surfaces were clean and all he had to do was record the fantasy as the medic went on with the spark splitting and transfer in his unconscious state.

Dragstrip glared at him from across the room, forced to sit on one of the benches as Barricade watched the medic. He wanted to race Dead End and beat the slag of him but he was stuck here.

"Are you gonna fix me or not?"

Barricade ignored Dragstrip, his attention focused solely on the data being siphoned from Triage's databanks.

"I see no point in repairing you Dragstrip; all you do is break the welds and have to be repaired again."

Dragstrip jumped off the table with a growl, optics narrowing at the cruiser. He stalked over, with shoulders held high in an attempt to bulk himself up. Barricade barely spared him a glance from the monitor before dodging a swing by the irate mech.

"My suggestion is that you leave quickly or I may decide to have you join Triage," Barricade snapped.

* * *

Skywarp leaned against the training room wall, observing the wounded Dragstrip as he stalked into the room. The mech pointedly ignored him as he pulled a rifle from subspace and began firing at random targets in the range, his shots becoming wilder as he became more enraged.

"I hear she's fast." Skywarp commented and dodged a shot when the mech swung the rifle in his direction, leaving a scorch mark where his head had been moments ago.

"What?" Dragstrip snapped optics flaring. "Who's fast?"

"The Autobots' pet femme." Dragstrip snorted as he turned back to the range selecting his targets more carefully this time, and shooting through the sparks of the holo matter Autobots.

"She's small, weak and slow." Dragstrip snapped at him after his session had ended.

"Are you afraid of losing?" Skywarp crooned at the crawler, watching the mech twitch and energon slowly leaking from his side before Dragstrip turned.

"I could beat that femme even injured as I am," he snarled at Skywarp, resting the rifle over his shoulder.

"Prove it Dragstrip; prove that you're the fastest crawler in the base."

Dragstrip snapped the rifle down and caught the annoying jet with a pulse on the shoulder. Skywarp held his anger in check; after all he didn't want to deal with Starscream when he was in a mood and the thought of being air commander gave him something to look forward to.

"Do you want to prove you're the fastest land bound Decepticon or not?" Skywarp snapped at him, rubbing the annoying little scorch on his shoulder.

"Of course I do, but how do I find this femme?" he growled as he subspaced the rifle and folded his arms over his chest. Eyeing up Skywarp, his processor was telling him the annoyingly smug fragger was up to something and he'd just been roped into it.

"She escapes from the Autobot base at night sometimes."

"So?" Dragstrip muttered. "Barricade said she always has an escort when she leaves."

Skywarp let out a dark little chuckled and his optics lit up.

"Oh no; when she goes out at night she's alone, so very alone."

Dragstrip's grin widened at the thought. Maybe after Barricade had extracted Megatron's spark he would be allowed to have some fun of his own; he might even give her a head start.

Skywarp took the lecherous grin on his pawn's face as a good thing, sending him co-ordinates, times and maps only caused the grin to widen as the mech left the room.

* * *

Blackout snarled at the feeds from the target range; those two rats were up to something and he wanted to know what it was.

Rolling back the recording he cranked up the volume and listed to the whispered conversations.

"_I hear she's fast," _came the raspy voice of Skywarp as he got the already tense Dragstrip worked up to garner his interest in a chase.

Blackout suppressed a growl as Dragstrip left and Skywarp began his own practice.

"_This will be fun and I'll take all the credit__,"_ Skywarp hissed to himself over the now live feeds as he manipulated the generators to create a copy of the femme.

With an annoyed hiss Blackout left the observation room and headed to the Medbay; if they were to resurrect Lord Megatron they would need to find out Skywarp's plans and what part Dragstrip would be playing.

Barging into the Medbay Barricade barely glanced at him as he worked on the formulas for the spark extraction and energy requirements.

"We have a problem," Blackout snapped planting one massive hand on the bench scattering data pads to the floor.

Barricade turned a dark glare at his comrade as he collected his scattered work. "And what problem is that?"

"Skywarp is plotting something with Dragstrip." Barricade made an annoyed sound as placed the data pads back on the bench.

"Skywarp barely has the talent to carry out simplistic orders let alone mastermind a working plan," Barricade grumbled as he moved to check on the whimpering medic; he'd switched one of the fantasies to a nightmare for a small reprieve on his part; the echoes of the gleefully cackling medic was beginning to drive his screws loose.

"I'm aware of Skywarp's abilities," Blackout replied as he followed the mech towards a small storage area, "but it is Starscream who has provided the plans!"

"Do you have proof or is it speculation?"

Blackout paused for a moment as Barricade turned his back on him and began to fiddle with a small grey object that crackled and sparked between his claws.

"Skywarp had deviated from his normal flying patterned when he left the base," Blackout stated and Barricade turned to him a deadpan look on his face plates. "And he has deep scratches around his cockpit and nosecone."

"And what do you expect me to do about it? You are the commanding officer after all."

* * *

Dead End groaned as and rolled over to face the wall as a gleeful Dragstrip entered the room and began to work on a loose datapad from their shared desk.

The gleeful mech paced about, giggling and cackling on occasion as he worked

"Can't you just go away?" Dead End grumbled when Dragstrip dropped onto the end of his berth.

"No, 'cause your going to help me with my fun."

"I'm not in the mood to race, just go away," he groaned out. His side still ached from that battle with the Autobots months ago and he shifted to roll off the berth but was stopped as Dragstrip flopped on top of him.

"Oh no; you don't have to race, you're gonna help me lure the pet femme to a secluded spot."

Dead End tried to shift his roommate off him only to have his hands slapped away; he tried to shift so he was mildly comfortable only to be then smacked on the head with a snarl of annoyance by his brother.

"Look; see, we lure her out, I beat her in a race then Skywarp grabs her and teleports her back here."

"Yeah so all they'll do is kill her afterwards." He winced when Dragstrip smacked him over the head.

"Don't be stupid, Barricade has to use her to bring back Megatron, remember?"

Dead End snorted and was successful at pushing his brother off him this time,

"So what, not like I care; there ain't nothing in it for me." He rolled off the berth and rose gingerly as he felt something pull painfully in his hip. '_Primus'_ he moaned to himself as Dragstrip put him in a head lock and prattled on in his audios, not that he heard much of it anyway.

"So that's the plan and then we can have a bit of fun; you know Megatron always rewards his loyal followers."

_

* * *

_

I know that Dragstrip is a dirty glitch, can't remeber why but I know he is.


	18. Follow on

__

Ha I have finally updated, sorry it took so long, go a little busy in life and melting the battery in my notebook dosn't help either, so I will have the next chapter up when I can...could be a while longer so I'll appologise in advance

Again as always I thanks the wonderful beta VAwitch for her help with my poor, terribly poor grammer.

* * *

Sam groaned as he rolled from his bed at the sound of crashing downstairs, it was barely 6 in the morning on Saturday of all days and it sounded like a war zone.

"SAMUAL JAMES WITWICKY!" he winced as his name was shrieked, he barely had time to pull on his sweatshirt when a loud boom sounded from the kitchen followed by several screamed curses and demands for him to come downstairs.

He was still yawning when he entered the chaos that was his kitchen; the smallest of the drones were scattered across the kitchen poking and prodding every object in their reach, flour was everywhere, the fridge had been tipped over and the dishwasher was sparking and spurting water over the counter tops. He rubbed his eyes to try and make the comical nightmare go away.

"SAM WHAT THE HELL ARE THESE THINGS?" his mom screeched as she swung the bat at a tripod drone, it went sailing past him and he could have sworn it was giggling hysterically before it hit the wall.

"They're kind of… well they were made by one of the Autobots," he dodged as another drone flew past. "Mom stop doing that please….they're not invading or anything…" he stopped in mid sentence as an ear piercing shriek sounded, he darted over to the sink and grabbed a drone that was dumping cutlery down the garbage disposal, the grinding gurgle and the accompanying sparks sent a shiver up his spine and drew over several of the drones.

"Where's Dad?" Sam asked confusedly, still gripping the wiggling drone by the neck; he knew why Ratchet lost his temper at the small robots so often. The tripod drones had gathered on the bench, huddling together and clicking at one another and the now slightly dented tripod giggled and flailed happily, waving an arm at a scrapped patch on the wall. The others bobbed their heads and lined up on the bench. A pair of bright blue optics blinked in the window and the concerned face of Bumblebee peaked in the early morning light.

"What Bee do you know what's happened?"

"I don't know Sam… the drones have locked your creator… father in the tool shed."

Bumblebee stiffened for a moment and a frown appeared on his face plates, the frown only increased as he slowly backed out and transformed back into his alt mode.

"There is a problem and my expertise is needed."

All Sam could do was nod as Bumblebee skidded over the grass and disappeared down the road. With a groan he dropped the drone and headed over to the tool shed. An entourage of drones trailed him, skittering on the garden path as he headed to the shed, while some of the drones stopped to poke the grass giggling and clicking to one another.

The loud scuffles from the shed and thumping on the door, caused him to blink with surprise at the door. As he examined the joints and edges carefully, a drone next to him chattered happily as it puffed up a crest on the top of its head.

"Who welded the door shut?" he asked as he turned towards his entourage. The drones shifted away from the crested counterpart as it puffed up happily and transfigured its hand into a welder. Sam let out a groan and looked back to the door; he could hear his dad's muffled yell through the metal.

"What the hell is going on?" The drone didn't seem too fussed at the yelling and the renewed thumping on the doors of the shed.

"The door's welded shut Dad… I'll find a way to get you out," He hollered through the metal before turning on the drones. "Well don't just sit there get my dad out." Sam felt a chill run up his spine at the look on the faceplates of the drones, they had split into what could only be described as evil grins as they advanced on the shed and Sam was really beginning to regret not giving them specific orders.

* * *

Bumblebee gunned his engine as he headed towards the base; Prime's request to return had been strange to say the least and Sunstreaker sent him a grumbling greeting as he passed on his way to his charge's home. He knew that Sunstreaker would be grumbling all the way there and back as well as a good part of the next week for having to guard Sam. Bumblebee just hoped that Sunstreaker wouldn't do anything drastic when he got to Sam's.

Pulling around the incline he headed into the base to be greeted by a tense Optimus and a grumbling Ratchet. Optimus gestured for Bumblebee to follow him to his office and found that the two leading drones were also present.

"Ahl and Dev have informed me that Hazard is missing, along with a fair number of their counter parts." Ahl nodded and Dev cocked his head, face plates screwed for a moment before barking out. "Scuts" Ahl let out a sigh and rubbed a clawed hand over its elongated face before turning to Bumblebee fixing him with a pleading look.

Optimus blinked at the drone unsure what to say as Dev turned to him barking out the most broken Cybertronian he'd ever heard.

"Curr bet yi scare master, scuts leeking, jacks lest, curr bet silly twit."

Dev barked out and was promptly smacked over the back of the head by his mate; they snarled and swiped at each other before Ahl pointed to the door thumping Dev with one of Prime's data pads. The grumbling bot left the room, turning to glare as his mate at the door before disappearing up the hall muttering as he went.

"I have retrieved the video footage from prior to Hazard's disappearance," Optimus murmured as it began to play on the screen.

_Haphazard paced __around the room, tapping the panels for a response, occasionally stopping for a short conversation and reassuring pats for those that ventured out. __Partway through a conversation with a mottled orange drone she froze, optics becoming dull and she move jerkily to the desk, clawed fingers running along a datapad as she turned it over slowly and began to trace images on the touch screen. A deranged sort of smile curled her face plates as she subspaced the datapad and slinked out of the room._

"What about the tracking devices?" Bumblebee questioned and Ahl let out a wiz of laughter as Ratchet held up a silvery disk, a dead tracking dot no more that two centimetres across sat in its centre.

"She has disconnected the locaters I installed."

Ahl balanced a datapad as he linked himself to it bringing up strings of Cybertronian to question the Autobots above him. Optimus nodded as they were questioned about tracking her spark signature.

"The body she is currently using dampens spark signatures," Optimus replied. "Are you able to find her through command links?"

Ahl shook his head sadly before more Cybertronian scrolled over the screen. _'Blocked command links, wants us to grow more if she goes.' _

Ratchet kept his faceplates impassive at the words the drone had written. It was becoming redundant to refer to Haphazard's creations as drones but what concerned him most is that she expected to leave and he could see this concern mirrored on Bumblebee's face.

"_Ratchet, her drones are at Sam's residence. I believe that may be what Dev was attempting to explain."_ Bumblebee messaged.

"Bumblebee I would like for you to begin tracking Hazard," Optimus said as he dropped into his chair. "Mirage and Cliffjumper have already begun a search grid."

Bumblebee gave a salute as he left and Ratchet turned to the depressed looking Ahl, the drone clicked unhappily as he slinked up the wall towards one of the many panels he could escape through.

"Did she tell you when she would leave?" Ahl gave a negative as he entered one of the tunnels leaving the panel half hanging. Ratchet continued to watch the panel, lost deep within his own processors.

"How is Hazard's new frame coming along?" Ratchet almost jolted out of his thoughts with a nod.

"I should be finished by the end of the week providing nobody manages to get their aft slagged." Optimus gave a nod of approval as Ratchet left to continue on Haphazard's frame.

* * *

Sam back pedalled as drones swarmed over the shed, tools replaced hand and feet as they poked the roof of the shed, aluminium roof panels were peeled back and discarded as it was dismantled under the direction of the welder drone. Sam covered his face as his father stepped away from the concrete slab and chased the welder drone with a spade; the rampant little drone reminded him of Frenzy as it joyfully dodged the spade and bounded around the yard. The welder drone pause for a moment when he noticed a group of blue tinted drones huddled together chattering and eyeing up Sunstreaker as the bot revved his engine to warn off a tripod that was skulking around him.

"SAM!!" came the resounding shriek from his mother as she stormed out of the kitchen, a struggling drone held in a death grip. Sam blinked at the bright green drone. He was sure it wasn't that colour when he had seen it last time, several more drone trailed like ducklings behind his mother, chirping and glancing warily at the bat.

An undignified yelp sounded from Sunstreaker as he jumped into his biped mode and took aim at a spider-like drone; it dodged and weaved away from the narrow blaster beam hooting in laughter as it disappeared into the bushes.

Sunstreaker glared at the bushes and found himself confronted with an angry human femme wielding a bat at his leg, it took him a moment to realise that she was threatening and advancing towards him.

"You ruined my flowers!" she shrilled at him, pulling the bat back to take a swing at his leg; he glared down at the angry femme when a familiar engine rumbled near by.

Prowl shifted out of his alternate mode and was instantaneously swamped by chirping drones. Most seemed to have changed colour since he had seen them last and quite possibly had multiplied as well. As they swarmed him, his optics flickered over each of them. He recounted them twice before he made a sharp click, followed with a drawn out rumble for their attention and silence. Prowl smiled to himself as each of the drones paused in their demand for attention to gaze at him. Those that had attached themselves to his back slinked down to the ground and moved to stand as close to attention as they possibly could, bright optics and lenses focused on his faceplates.

"_Why are you here_?" he inquired in an even tone, but received no reply; they merely shifted and refocused their optics. The welder drone leaned back to look at Prowl curiously before pointing to the bush Sunstreaker had chased the spider drone into moments ago. He chirped, whistled and thrummed at it as he attempted to coax it out. Prowl crouched, careful to avoid tipping over from the additional weight of several drones attached to his chest and ruffled the bush with his fingers, the spider drone shot out with a surprised squeak as it skittered away from him to hide behind a still fuming Judy Witwicky. Prowl noted that it seemed wary of Sunstreaker as he rose and turned to the glaring bot.

"_**What did you do Sunstreaker?**_"

"_**I didn't do anything to it**_,**" **he snapped back in Cybertronian before pointing to it with a growl "**It**_** tried to shove something up my tail pipe!**_"

Prowl frowned as he ran a scan over the small drone. it seemed so unlike Haphazard's other drones as it cowered behind the human; its optic seemed wrong, as though it was taken from a mech more his own size and its body was built hastily with gaps along the seams. Prowl switched to his internal comm as he shooed the drones from his front.

"_I don't believe that is Hazards drone._"

"_Yeah I think you're right; its vocal processors are wrong for a start and I can't remember her drones ever acting so odd._" Sunstreaker replied, optics narrowing as the drone shifted closer to Judy Witwicky and every drone froze, optics flickering and lenses whirling as they shuddered on the spot.

"_Sunstreaker did it not seem odd that none of the humans in this sector have left their recharge cycle yet?" _Prowl demanded suddenly leaving Sunstreaker slightly ruffled.

"_No," _he commented turning to his commanding officer "_why?" _

"_That spider drone is carrying a larger supply of a chemical that induces a forced recharge in humans."_

The drones jumped as Sunstreaker swore viciously in Cybertronian and took a careful step towards the spider drone as it backed up, hissing and arching like an angry cat. Blades protruded from its front legs as it rose on its rear legs in an attempt to threaten the Autobots and humans that surrounded it. It took a lunge at Sam, ill intent in its flashing optics. Sunstreaker began to move forward and was stopped by Prowl.

"_**Don't move, the last thing I need if for you to step on someone!**_"

"DON'T YOUR DARE TOUCH MY SAM!" Judy screeched as the bat connected with the spider drone, slamming it against the garden path with a clang. Angry whirring sounded from Hazard's drones as they shook off the system lock and swarmed over the downed spider drone.

Prowl suppressed a shudder as the welder drone lit up its torch and advanced on the struggling spider and proceeded to cut into it's armor, slicing off legs at the joints as it squealed and hissed as it attempted to escape. They paused for a moment as the stone birdbath scrapped on its base and shuddered aside. Dev pulled himself from under the fountain, squeezing his much larger body through the hole with a grimace and a growl; he snapped commands at some of them before turning to Prowl.

"_**Find scuts, find jacks, find nasty's, still not find master curr bet!**_"

Sunstreaker gave an amused look as Dev poked the prone spider in the head before kicking it along the ground towards the tunnel, the spider made a frenzied attempt to escape and was kicked down the hole for its troubled.

"_**Give nasty terra Hatchet, need mur scariness.**_"

Ron glared at the robot and pointed the spade at him. "Don't think you're going anywhere. You and your…friends need to clean up my house, the yard and fix my shed."

Dev paused and his optics blinked several times before he made a strained clicking noise and shimmied down the hole, the drones snickered and tossed the severed legs of the spider drone down the hole and chirped when it connected with a clank.

"Well his Cybertronian is improving," Prowl commented as he dropped into his alternate mode. "Make sure the drones clean the property before they leave Sunstreaker." The golden bot gave a short nod as the second in command drove off and he looked down at the expectant drones.

"You heard Prowl - fix the shed and clean the house."

* * *

Prowl drove towards base, sending Ratchet a brief message to expect Dev to bring back a Decepticon drone for spare parts and to assume that it had drugged a large number of humans surrounding the Witwicky's property. With a sigh of relief at the averted disaster, he allowed himself to scan the police channels; nothing out of the ordinary seemed to be happening until energy ghosted over his side and Hazard cruised past him.

He could feel a smug sort of grin from her as she accelerated and led him further from the city's limits; he gave chase, sirens flaring to life as she continued to ignore his comm requests. Prowl nearly growled in frustration as they headed further from the base and along the roads leading to the desert.

"Pull over Hazard." He watched as she flashed her lights and pulled a hard turn cutting across two lanes of the highway and bounding into the desert sending plumes of sand and dirt into the air. Prowl half groaned as he finally pulled into the desert and followed Hazard's tracks and faint energy signature deeper into the sand. The dust and sands fluttered over his sensors distractingly as he finally reached the smirking femme and transformed.

"I can't go back."

The bluntness of her statement caught him by surprise as she slowly turned and headed into the desert, Prowl followed her as she moved deeper to a large canvas covered form.

"Why can't you come back?"

"I've found my purpose and I don't like it."

"Hazard..."

"Didn't you ever wonder about the claws, the narrow blades; all those systems that shouldn't work but did?"

Prowl shook his head as she kicked up dust and paced around. "Your systems were as they were. They can be removed or changed as you please; all you have to do is tell Ratchet."

"No...Each part was collected specifically for my purpose."

"I can do nothing to help you if you refuse to tell me what the problem is."

"I was separated from Megatron nearly sixty-five vorns ago; once it reaches that mark I'll have no choice."

"Hazard you need to tell me what your purpose is."

"It's Optimus...my whole purpose and I can't, I don't want to."

Prowl frowned as crouched to poke the canvas and it shuddered with a quiet snarl; moving back she looked at him closely.

"I've already sent the signal to Krrch so he can activate them."

"Activate who?"

"Beta-class counter-operative drones, programmed to keep me away."

"But why?"

She looked at him with dim optics as she murmured quietly, "If I stay I'll hurt Optimus and I don't want to."

* * *


End file.
